It's been a freaking busy week filled with doctor appointments, phone calls, decisions, and dealing with the remaining tasks with the new house. I'm beyond worn out, so freaking tired. Rescheduled my follow-up with the neurologist this week because 3 appointments in one week is about my limit. Really.
As I get closer to answers to all the medical/health issues I find myself with more questions about the everyday life issues that I don't honestly have the energy to deal with. Life's too short for excess BS, and so I'm finding different ways to deal with those unsavory tidbits that threaten to wreck my peace of mind. But I'll get to that later...
I have an EGD and a second colonoscopy in 5 days. I'm waiting on my GI doc to get his staff to schedule the liver biopsy, and I have a chest CT scan scheduled the 19th (day after the EDG & colonoscopy), then a sleep study scheduled for the 25th...
You guys may remember that, a few months ago, I had an abdominal CT due to kidney stones, and in that process they found a 11mm nodule on my lung. Went to one lung doctor who drew a teeny tiny dot on a page and said she wasn't concerned and would do another CT in a few months "because it's so small." I was incredibly tired that morning and knew something wasn't right about what she said. But it didn't occur to me what it was until later that day---she had drawn a ONE MILLIMETER dot on the page. The nodule on my lung is 11 times larger than what she thinks. She failed to look at the paperwork, and apparently failed miserably when looking at the CT (which was on a disk I'd gotten from the radiologist). In fact, it took her NO time at all to come into the room, so I doubt she even looked at the CT... She messed up. So I requested a second opinion from another doctor, because ALL trust in this doc went out the window. What if I'd been a high risk patient with a long history of smoking? I've never even tried cigarettes, but what if I had been high risk? Waiting months for another CT scan due to her mistake could be disastrous.
So at the lung doctor yesterday...
He came into the room, asked a few questions, picked up the disk and said he was going to go review it. I waited in the room for some time (unlike the visit with my first lung dr). He came back, sat down and said.. "The nodule on your lung is larger than we like. I'm going to schedule you for a CT scan because what you had at the hospital was of your abdomen, and so we have no idea what else if anything is going on. You'll be getting a chest CT so we can take a good look at your lungs."
He went on to say that since I'm a non-smoker that is in my favor and that he believes the nodule is going to be benign. But he can't know for sure until they take another look. He also said it's going to be a watch and wait thing to see if it grows and how fast, etc. This nodule, if benign and of inflammatory origin will most likely just calcify and nothing else will come of it. I'm expecting this as well. Although I grew up in a household with my mom being a HEAVY chain smoker, and one who didn't like to keep windows and doors open, I still think that I should be okay.
This doctor is awesome, absolutely awesome. He was on the ball and really paid attention to detail. He wasn't all cuddly and fluffy, but he was very professional and not dismissive. The latter, of course, is always preferable.
So, once done discussing the lung issue, this doc also insisted on a sleep study because of my AFib. Even though I'd had ablations for the AFib, SVT, and atrial flutter just last year... he said that he suspected sleep issues because of the AFib and it poses a serious health risk. I agreed and was told to go to the sleep lab to speak to the folks over there and get scheduled. Here's where the problems began for the day....
T drove me to the doctor's appt yesterday because he took a day off (building up massive amounts of leave and has to use it before he loses the time). Yeah, nice of him, except for when it came time to go to the lab to get my appt set up. His response.. "You have to go over there right now? Today?" *sigh*
Moving right along...
I saw my EP doc, the one who did my ablations.. to get an ultrasound and discuss The Watchman device. Looks like I'm going to go ahead with that procedure, especially since I'm told that since I had a TIA in 2013 and had Afib that my risk of having a major stroke is "50/50," and the liver issues make me a huge risk for a major bleeding event because I'm on a blood thinner. My ferritin is very low (anemia), and it's usually high in someone with NASH. This could mean I have a slow bleed from a duodenal ulcer.. which is why I'm getting the EGD. The colonoscopy is being done in case there's something going on there. Even as a Vegan I eat the right foods, take my vitamins, and I shouldn't be anemic due to diet.
T also has a bitchy attitude towards my being Vegan. *sigh* He can eat whatever he wants. I don't force him to eat Vegan. But he's bitchy about it. Mean in many ways.
Lord have mercy, but this shit has got to stop. Life is WAY too short for bitching about what a person chooses to eat or not eat. *sigh*
He rationalizes his indifference, his bitchiness, his rigidity towards just allowing me to be myself and live my life. I don't say it aloud, but I often think to myself during his 'episodes'... "Tell yourself whatever you need to.. to feel better about 'you.'"
There really isn't enough time to waste on BS. I'm striving for better health and to get my energy back. It's necessary.
.... So much more to say but too little energy to type right now. Maybe I'll come back after a break.
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