I saw a Gastroenterologist. The result of our visit was a prescription to treat symptoms caused by excess stomach acid. I’ll take it twice a day until further notice.
He also made an appointment in May for a camera down my throat. If my symptoms go away or are notably reduced before May, I may not need to swallow the camera.
I also saw a Speech Pathologist on what may be the last stop (win or lose) on my way to solving this throat clearing issue. About my constant throat clearing, she basically said, “STOP IT!”
It reminded me of this Bob Newhart skit. It turns out there is a little more to the STOP IT theory than you might first imagine.
It’s true that something is causing this to happen, but it turns out that throat clearing causes irritation, and irritation causes throat clearing. If the cycle continues long enough, it becomes part of you.
If you can STOP or REDUCE it, you might break (or damage) the cycle.
She offered a list of suggestions of how one might STOP IT, most of which I am already doing. The bottom line is, if I can stifle the throat clearing, at least to some degree, the instances and/or severity may be reduced, at least to some degree, regardless of the primary cause.
I had the follow-up PSA test last week. I haven’t talked with my Urologist yet, but, the test results were automatically posted to my (Medical Stuff) web site.
Test data often appears to be in Greek (Latin?), but these numbers were quite clear: 0.19. Now that’s a cliff-hanger. More than 0.2 indicates a recurrence of the cancer.
I’ve given up trying to predict what a doctor will say or do, I’ve been wrong so many times. I’m sure it will be interesting when we talk next.
I can’t remember when I started daily, sometimes it seems constantly – clearing my throat. It has to be a year, maybe two or even three, but it is every day. I thought an allergist might identify the cause, so I made an appointment.
His assistant took a felt marker and produced spreadsheets on both of my forearms, complete with columns and headers. She poked my skin in each marked cell with the corresponding poker from her tray of pins and said she’d be back in 30 minutes.
I sat in that quiet exam room with a pillow in my lap and my arms steady on the pillow. It was a perfect time to catch up on prayer. The spreadsheet reported zero allergies, next stop – another blood test.
Are You Rrrrready toooo Rrrrrumble?
My prostate surgery was almost seven years ago. We’ve continued regular PSA testing since then and the results have always been, “undetectable.” In reality, undetectable is actually detectable, but if the number is less than 0.1 ng/ml, it is considered undetectable.
The voicemail with my December test results relayed a 0.15 score and a, “please call to make an appointment.”
I made the appointment and saw my Urologist. He seemed quite concerned and commented a couple times that this never happens this far out from the surgery (almost 7 years).
He’d reviewed my file and seemed pleased that I already had a radiologist, because if today’s blood test verifies the last one, radiation may be prescribed.
Where to radiate would be the question (since there is no cancerous prostate). He told me about a new technique that has just arrived in Portland, and is promising for that very issue.
I asked him; wouldn’t it be funny if the prostate cancer was positioning to play a big joke on the Multiple Myeloma cancer?
I wondered if they would ever battle to claim credit for my demise.
IN THIS CORNER:
The Reigning Champion with 26,730 (estimated) deaths in 2017 – Prrrostate Cancer! Off to an impressive start, but reportedly eradicated with surgery.
IN THE OTHER CORNER:
THE INCURABLE! The Second Most Common Hematological Malignancy – with 10,790 (estimated annual) deaths Mmmuuuuultiple Mmmyyyeloooooooma!! Starting out determined, but beat down repeatedly with radiation, chemo, a stem cell transplant, and more chemo –On the ropes, but still breathing.
Prostate cancer, inching by the fingernails, crawls back to the center of the ring with just a hidden spark of life – grabs Myeloma by the throat and whispers, “Incurable? I’ll show you incurable!”
A young lady who’s had two babies since she started taking my blood, took it once again. It was tested and the results relayed by voicemail: 0.15 confirmed, please call and make an appointment for two months from now.
A Beautiful Sunrise tempting me to be late for work recently
I really felt fortunate to catch this action shot – my immediate supervisor at work – going off the rock pile jump on his bicycle, sailing over the mote and fence (in his Grinch pajamas). It’s a Public Works tradition.
The van is due for an oil change. It’ll wait. I should dehaze the headlight lenses, but that can wait. I really need to organize the video’s I’ve been transferring from VHS, but there’s no time for that now.
There are leaves to rake, gutters to clean, and power steering to find and install in the Toyota (and that rattling rear window is really wearing on me); but those things and more will have to wait. I am making Christmas presents for my grandchildren, and for my sons. They must be finished and mailed in time and, HURRAY! I made it.
I made personal coloring books
Coloring books with pictures of them
I suppose now that I’ve actually dusted and organized the surface of my desk, I can no longer complain about not having enough time.
I did reach the point early on Christmas Eve when I’d checked-off enough lines on my to-do list that the ascending graph line of “this desk is an utter mess!” crossed the descending graph line of “time sensitive Christmas things that must be done.”
It will be nice to end the old and start the new year with a clean desk, like that feeling of slipping into a bed of fresh sheets.
I sit here now in the afterglow of Christmas day. Our Christmas was most always at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We’ve only had one official family Christmas at our house, and that was the year Diane gave me a 57 Chevy; so when she announced we were having the family Christmas this year, I thought great! Maybe I’m getting another car!
She shortly relieved that suspense explaining there would be no surprise car this year. But, among my gifts from her was a very nice office chair in which I am comfortably sitting now as I type, no longer needing a pillow to sit on to cover the seat cushion flattened by years of use (I’m passing on the opportunity to comment here on the weight or rigidity of any posterior frequenting the now previous chair).
She even decorated the bird bath
Diane really enjoys decorating every room and every part of our house for Christmas. And, she did a wonderful job this year of almost singlehandedly orchestrating Christmas day arrivals, snacks, seating, background music, cats banished, gifting order and balance, Christmas dinner (Breakfast), leftovers to go with goodbyes, and directing cleanup triage.
This Christmas was very nice, but last Christmas may have been the best ever. Diane and I met Robin and family at Brandon & Emily’s home in Michigan for Christmas week. It was a grand experiment, and everyone survived – hopefully leaving the door open to a future Christmas with all of us together again.
On the way to that family Christmas, our flight from Chicago to Marquette was cancelled due to snow. We decided to rent a car and drive the remaining 370 miles. Brandon called ahead and reserved a car for us, I hopped on the rental car shuttle bus, and Diane began the 90 minute wait for our luggage.
There she met an old couple (older than us!) who also would have been on our cancelled flight to Marquette. In a moment, Diane phoned me and said, “Get a bigger car – I’ll explain later.“ What a joy it was to meet, travel, and visit with these wonderful people. Isn’t it funny how God works? They said we were a blessing, but really, they were the blessing for us.
I had surgery in October to repair my incisional hernia, also referred to as an umbilical hernia (also referred to as a sticking-out-belly button). It is so very nice to no longer have that little door knob on my stomach. I’m glad I didn’t get the eyeball tattoo.
I also had the regularly scheduled quarterly cancer tests for my oncologist in December, along with a PSA test for my urologist, and a cholesterol test for my general doctor, and another test for my heart doctor.
I thought it would certainly be efficient to get enough blood for all this with one needle, but when the “draw” was finished that day, I had four little “badges of courage” on my arms and hands.
For more than six years, my PSA numbers have been tested and pronounced undetectable. The urologist’s office called me the day after Christmas. My latest test showed an increase in the PSA. He wants to see me. I suspect more needles.
I remain thankful to God for a life overflowing with blessings.
I had a small spot on my face, near my eye. It wouldn’t go away. With this year’s insurance deductibles paid, I thought it would be a good time to see my wife’s dermatologist and have the bump frozen off. Instead, they took a biopsy.
They soon called to tell me that it is cancerous, Basil Cell Carcinoma, the most common and low risk of skin cancer. Low risk is good, but I never thought I would be host to three cancers. Two might be the start of a collection, but I think three really is. I will see the dermatologist soon to discuss the next step.
