Monday, September 20, 2010

The best laid plans of lab rats and men...

Today has been one of those days that is always presented as "character building".  It was also one of those days on which the person who has about as much "character" as she can stand at this point, had to use every tool in the arsenal to keep the top of her head from blowing off...

Today was supposed to include radioactive injections and scans to start looking in earnest for the rogue tumor that we all were thinking was the root of my Cortisol producing problem.  However, when I got down to the Nuclear Medicine department for my injection, I was informed that the test had been cancelled.  So back upstairs I went and met up with one of my gaggle of Doctors.  Dr. Neary informed me that based on the test results from the weekend, in conjunction with all the tests from last week, the team was not ready to proceed down the Ectopic (rogue in my book) tumor route.  While none of the test results we have gotten so far definitively proves my problem lies in the pituitary gland, all of them put together makes the team lean toward that conclusion.  To save me from the radiation and perhaps needless tests, the scans for today and tomorrow were cancelled. 

As if the whiplash inducing change of direction wasn't enough, a new path to take in that direction still needed to be formulated.  So when my gaggle of Doctors came in to discuss what that path would be, my head was spinning.  I won't bore you with the tests, other Doctors/surgeons, time lines, and possibilities that we discussed.  Suffice it to say each member of my star studded team is all over a piece of this mystery.  But as of this evening, I don't have any definitive plan for anything.

Tomorrow morning I have a multiple draw blood test that should verify (or not) the results of a test I had last week that came back inconclusive and give us another pituitary indicator (or not).  Hopefully by the time they get the results back from that test (the beauty of the NIH is that we could have results before noon) the path will be formulated and the results will just confirm it. In any case, I assume tomorrow at some point, I'll know what's going on.

Did I mention I'm just trying to go with the flow here?  Oh, and I have about as much "character" as I can take at this point?

This morning after having the schedule and plan totally thrown out the window, I went for a long walk around the campus.  The weather is still beautiful and it was the best anxiety management tool I could have used.  The rest of the day was filled with physical therapy, a visit to the library, meals, vitals, reading and a nap.  And now the best tool of all - the 49ers are on Monday Night Football!

Tomorrow should bring more answers which I shall pass along.  For now, send positive vibes and good anxiety reducing thoughts.  One request:  NO CHARACTER BUILDING!!

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