Updates from yesterdays HCMC journey

If you follow me on Twitter, you know it wasn't be best time I've ever had. It was probably up there, but I don't think it was quite the worst 2 hours I've ever had...

I went in there knowing I was in for a Catscan, and then a trip to get looked at by the Dermatologist. I did know realize I was walking in for them to pretty much fuck me up.

I got there right on time for the Catscan. 8AM. It's a good thing I do mornings well. I had to fast for at least 4 hours (which, when it's 4 hours from 8, I'm sure as hell not waking up at 4 just to eat, so it turned into a 10 hour fast, which was fine, and turned out to be a good thing...) I went in, they set me with an IV, which I already didn't expect. Then they put me on the scanner, in the clothes I walked in wearing (which seemed odd. They didn't weigh me or anything...not even BP) So, I was lying there, and they had to call my Oncologist because she wanted them to scan "higher", which apparently wasn't specific enough. Go figure...

Anyhow, I'm sleeping in the machine by the time they come back in to get me, and then they get me ready (didn't strap me down this time...). They inject me with a contrast liquid (NOT the same as the lemonadey stuff they use for abdomen scans...) they tell me I'm going to feel warm and flush, and maybe like I peed myself because my bladder would warm up. It's true. It felt like I peed myself, but I didn't, so that was nice. So they did the first scan ("lower", I guess), and as they're finishing I get all sorts of nauseous. They say that that happens occasionally, and I get moved out of the machine, handed a bag, and then I proceed to throw up the nothing that was in my stomach for a few minutes. Apparently I don't agree with the contrast. Which is AWESOME, because they had to put me right back in with more contrast for the dr. ordered "higher" scan. So they injected more of that devil juice into me, although not as much, nor as quickly, and they got the 2nd one done. I hobbled around for a bit, but didn't throw up again, and then was discharged shortly thereafter.

It only got more fun from there! I went to the dermatologist expecting them to look me over and say that either I had goofy spots and we should arrange for them to be removed, or that I was ok for the time being. I showed them the new spots on my hands that I didn't like, and the consensus was that they were fine. Just sun spot wart things. BUT, then they said we should freeze them off anyway so they don't spread. That's about when things got interesting. So I didn't have much worth being concerned about, so they got the liquid nitrogen (which I was very intrigued by...) and then they look at my scar. They notice new spots in my scar approx where the original melanoma was. They didn't really like the looks of it, but they also weren't very suspicious of it, because "it wasn't behaving like a melanoma", whatever that means. BUT, spots get chopped off, apparently, so they went and got the bioposy kit.

Then it got really interesting. I got put on my side, I got a topical anesthetic, and they punched a 6mm round hole in my shoulder, threw one year old scar tissue. It didn't hurt, because I was numbed up, but I kinda watched and it was gnarly. The anesthetic, because it was only injected into the skin, and not below it, made my arm raise up, and then the cut the top off with the punch, so I totally looked like a small bloody volcano. That part was fun. The 4 stitches were fine, too. For about 5 hours, but we'll get back to that...

So, I'm injected, (again), punched, stitched, and now about to be frozen (keeping in mind I was not prepared mentally for ANY of this.) So they grab nitrogen tank and pretty much try to freeze my spots off. So now I have a few day old gigantic blisters on the back of my hands where they froze shit off. Apparently they'll scab over and fall off in a couple days. That only felt like they were sticking a small needle through my hand. It could have been way worse, I imagine.

BUT, the 9.5 hour workday got cut about 6 hours short as soon as the anesthesia wore off and my body became aware that it had gotten stabbed repeatedly. So I went home early and took it easy. I feel MUCH better today, I haven't had a bandaid come off the stitches without blood on it, so maybe I'm still doing to much? It doesn't hurt though, and it's not ripped, so we'll just let it ride.

Speaking of riding. None for me, thanks. Doctors orders. Stitches out in 2 weeks, and then I'll be at the track (sounds familiar doesn't it...For those of you that weren't paying attention or have forgotten, last time my shoulder was cut open, my first race back was on the track, and WAY sooner than I should have been racing again. Oh well. Let's call it a tradition to put a positive spin on it.

See you in 2 Thursdays!

Cancer update.

Is it back? I don't know. I do know that I now have insurance again, and that means that I went to the hospital last week. They said they weren't sure, but the X-Ray came back clear. They want to see a dermatologist who is more visually adept at picking up spots and what they may be. So, I do that on Tuesday. The more unsettling news is that I have to get a catscan right before that on Tuesday morning also. Why? I'm not totally sure. Looking for things the X ray can't pick up. So, that's neat. They wanted me to get a petscan (what's the diff?) but my insurance wouldn't cover it, and I don't want to pay $4k for it. Screw that. So, I wait all over again.

The spots that are making me nervous are just on my hands. They're small and new, so, it's still early. We'll see what they say. Maybe they're nothing. Just playing it safe.

Here's hoping it all comes back clear. Naturally.

The best laid plans of Mice and Men...

So, I had a nice fancy training schedule based around the times I had available, and then I go get a full time position at work...

Which is amazing, but a cause for revision/abandonment of the training program. Time instead to be an adult, save a bunch of money, and try to buy a house sometime in the next year. They're too cheap right now to not. So, if anyone has awesome resources for that, those would be good to send over.

Thanks