Thursday, May 24, 2007

Holy Bulging Veins, Batman!!!

Yep, two more vials of my finest are off to the lab. THIS time, they kept calling me up to the front counter. Apparently, my "liver guy" ordered a test for hemochromatosis.

Uh...okay? (Read: I'm thinking, "What the fuck is THAT?")

Apparently it's some weird blood dis-order where you store too much iron in your system, and all your organs soak it up...particularly the liver. Okay, I get it...so I got on WebMD to look it up.

BAD idea! When will I ever LEARN? Talk about curiosity killing the cat.
I really need to stay away from reading up on this shit and just be a patient patient and wait for the doc to explain shit to me. HE'S the one who suffered through years of med school and a residency for crying out loud.

My phlebotomist was a MALE this time, and my arm isn't NEARLY as bruised as the last vampire. He even took TWO vials, and it hardly hurt at all. Turns out, he's a grad from med school and is just waiting to start his residency in, of all places, ALABAMA. (No offense, BP!) Unfortunately he said he wants to specialize in plastic surgery. BOO-HISS. Sellout! He DID say he may change his mind. He had a great bedside manner; I'd hate to see that go to waste on some rich, old plantation debutante wannabe.

Friday I'm going to throw myself into work to keep my mind off the fact that a liver biopsy just MAY be in my future. I've talked to a couple people who "knew people" who've had them, and they said it's not as un-invasive as my doc claims it to be. Then again, medicine has come a long way in a very short time, but the thought of someone driving a hollow needle into my abdomen and ripping off a piece of my liver just sounds wrong and painful, simply because they won't knock me out to do it. No, thank you. Limpy, I'm admittedly being a pussy about THAT shit. Seriously. Think about a NAD biopsy, using the same method. Long needle all up into one or both of your nuts? Or better yet...up somewhere else to your prostate? Uh-huh. See? LOL ;-)

AAAANNNDDDD....on a lighter note, I've taken some pretty cool pics of the flowering bushes around the complex:

At the moment, the temp is a "cool" 95 degrees. I've gotten my mosquito problem under control (they like to hide on the bathroom mirror, so I go in from time to time to whack them worse than a Soprano's enemy), and gooberdog is lying right next to me, snoring her fool head off. I get to spend a buncha time with my family over this holiday weekend, bbq'ing and playinig in the pool and shooting the shit. Life is good, no matter what.

Hope ALL of you readers have a great, SAFE, fun, happy Memorial Day weekend. Pud, if you're out there, I'm thinking of you and your peeps. I salute you all and pray for your safe return.

Treble Salute

10 comments:

captain corky said...

Yeah wait and talk to a doctor... Before you know it you'll diagnose yourself with one week to live. Enjoy the holiday weekend Lady K.

Lady K said...

cork ~ I plan to live it up this weekend...it could be my last, you know. HA! I just gotta keep repeating: "I WILL NOT LOOK UP MEDICAL ISSUES ON THE INTERNET."

Callie said...

First of all - don't be such a wuss. If I can have the inside of my uterus burned out without being asleep, you can have a teensy little liver biopsy. Geez, woman!

(yes that was sarcasm)

Seriously, though - don't let it stress you. They have wonderful meds nowadays, and even though you may not be "out", you won't feel much if anything.

And don't be so hard on the plastic surgeons. Hubby had an accident at work where part of his nose was seriously cut. It just so happened a plastic surgeon was doing the rounds in emergency that day, and when he was done with hubby, you couldn't even tell he'd been injured. They do alot of good. They're not all boobs and nose jobs.

As far as your "cool 95" is - blech! Way too hot for me. Give me 70-75, and I'm a happy Callie.

Have a WONDERFUL Memorial Day weekend, sweetie!!

(oh, btw - I tried to e-mail you about a week ago to the e-mail addy that's on your profile. Don't know if you ever got it - just wondering)

Hazed said...

24? BOOO Hiss Booo...but I won't throw beer cans at YOU. As long as you just say, "Jeff", I can pretend you're pulling for Jeff Burton and ignore the fact that you are a traitor to the whole sport. HAHAHAHAHA!

I AM thinking about you. Your dream is a premonition dream. All is well in your innards - at least where the blood and liver parts are concerned. Hope you have a good weekend, as well. Try to lay off the spirits if at all possible. You know they'll take blood at least one more time before surgery.

xoxo

limpy99 said...

I'd be a pussy too if they were coming for a chunk of my liver.

Just not about American Idol.

Saints and Spinners said...

The internet is a bad, bad place to be sometimes. It can turn a zit into a boil.

Lady K said...

callie ~ I'm trying not to be a wuss. Hell, I'm being less of a wuss about the total hysterectomy than I am about a possible liver biopsy!

I'm not being hard on plastic surgeons, especially when they help people who really NEED it.

I don't know if I got your email or not. Try it again, I promise to write back!

birdy ~ GO #24!!!!! (yeah, yeah, slap me if ya want, but I'm no traitor!)

Trust me, I have been laying off the spirits. Hopefully there's good news on the way.

alkelda ~ yes indeed, I really need to stay away from those medical websites. LOL

Jennifer Longdon said...

Sorry to read about your medical challenges. From personal experience I can tell you that you need to focus on now and let the future take care of itself. Also try to limit the input of others (or you'll just scare the bejesus outta yourself). Almost everyone knows someone who's cousin's best-friend's mother-in-law's gardener had EXACTLY the same thing and it was AWFUL.

Love your photos. You have a good eye. Best of luck to you.

The Patient Connection said...

Hemochromatosis and Phlebotomy – Updated Blog

Hi

Thanks for all your help so far with our Hemochromatosis blog. The discussion has changed in the last few days so we would like to take this opportunity to invite you again to a research blog on Hemochromatosis. We are very interested in you attitude toward Phlebotomy and have therefore added a few new questions.


To take part please click this link

http://www.thepatientconnections.com/blog.asp?uid=44



The blog is anonymous and easy to use. Instructions are given on the blog so thanks in advance for your help it is much appreciated.


Best wishes

Belinda
The Patient Connection
Belinda.shale@thepatientconnections.com

The Patient Connection said...

Just to let you know this blog is still open

Belinda