Day Two Hundred Eleven

A Bullet Dodged

I recently had a health scare. Only two people knew I had an MRI last Friday.  Now, I've been living with fibromyalgia for about ten years, so I'm used to pain. But the burning sensation in my arm was different. I kept putting off seeing a doctor about it, hoping the pain would just go away. It didn't. It got worse. Now here's the part where my spooky insights come into play.

I was alone one night and channel surfing when I came upon a show I had never before had an interest in. One of the main characters was telling another doctor she wanted an MRI because she had pain in her arm. Turns out it was a lesion in her humerus and she was probably going to die. I thought, "well, shit - maybe I'd better get this checked out."

The doctor I see for the fibro insisted the pain was coming from my neck so she had me get an MRI of my spine. I knew it was my arm so I went to see the best "arm" doctor in Orlando - Dr. George White. He took an x-ray and saw -  a lesion in my humerus! - so he ordered another MRI. I don't make this stuff up. The blood literally drained from my head when he said almost verbatim but I had heard on the stupid show. I started mentally deciding who would get which of my Pamela Watters' paintings. (My only valuable possessions other than my pets.)
(Oh, and I can still hear tapping sounds echoing inside my head.)

I've used this cartoon before
but it deserves a second look...

I was so proud of myself when I had discovered the "Stand Up" (well, sit down) MRI place, which is where I had the scan of my spine. But Dr. White wanted me to go to another place where the scans are "clearer." Seriously. I guess it's like they told us as kids - the medicine should taste awful or it's not working. Substitute "MRI" for "medicine" and "be as uncomfortable as possible" for "taste awful" and you get the idea. The MRI must be a torture chamber or it's not working. The skeptic in me thinks the torture chambers tests are more expensive, too. Or maybe they're obsolete, like plasma TVs, so they want to get their money's worth before trading up to a 4k. Who knows.

I had to go into a tube - well, more like a doughnut. I was hooked up to an IV for the "contrast," had to lie on my right side (which makes me dizzy) and was told it would take about an hour. Oh, and they make you wear headphones.

Now, when the tech asked me what kind of music I like, I thought he was making small talk. My mind was slightly distracted so I just gave him a blank stare and shook my head. He took one look at me and thought - elevator to Heaven music. Harps and all. At full volume. It sounded more like hell to me. If I hadn't been told not to move a muscle, I would have ripped those freaking headphones clean off. An hour later, I was temporarily deafened, but finished in the torture chamber.

It was a long week, waiting for results. I didn't really want to talk - or think - about it, so I kept my thoughts to myself. Thank God for my constant, funny companions - Jack, Rooney, Eli, Fancy, Finn, Chance, Dash and Boo!  Aside from my husband, the only other person who knew was Dash and Boo!'s first "mom" - a dear person who understands health issues. I saw the doctor yesterday for the test results.

Good news! No tumor in the bone! Yea, that's what he was ruling out. Turns out the "lesion" was a normal hemo-something. Oh, and I have a bone spur in my shoulder. The shot he had given me the week before already did its magic, so my arm feels great! I have to stretch the arm daily. Whew!

I tried to convince him to shoot some of his magic elixir into my foot, knee, hip and back. He just smiled and shook his head "no." Instead, he gave me the name of a spine doctor. I guess he figures that doctor will refer me to a foot doctor, etc., etc., etc.

I told them my arm hurts.
Nobody believed me...

I remember when my kids were little I worried all the time about what would happen to them if something should happen to Andy and me!? There was literally no one else on Earth I would have trusted to raise them. So I panicked - all the time. Those days are gone, and so is the panic. Voila!

Now, all I could think of was - what happens to my animals if something happens to me?? I know Jack and Rooney will be fine. But what about the kitties? Fortunately, Andy is starting to warm up to the cats. I made him swear he would never get rid of them. He really likes Dash and Boo! I think she reminds him of me - short but deadly when crossed. Yep, that's our Boo!