Update: Saw the oncologist. He's pretty sure it's just a really huge cyst - the size of a basketball, in fact !!! Mary goes under the knife June 19 to have it removed. The doc doesn't think it's likely to have any cancer attached, but they'll check while they're in there. Whew!
I know I'm never going to see the CT scan or anything, but I'm really curious to see how a basketball-sized cyst is arranged in there. This operation is going to be roughly the same as a C-section, so no worries, I guess.
First glad to hear it. Second, your wife can request to see the CT scan with you at her side. Most doctors don't mind, and some are downright eager so patient and family can make a real informed consent
I'm actually dying to see the scan. Just from a purely intellectual standpoint, I'm interested how this thing sits in the abdomen. Is it a single ovoid shape, like a womb? Is it wrapped around things, fitting where it can?
Beat me to it. Yeah so long as your lovely bride asks for it the two of you can watch it. The fun nerd stuff is when you get to see your MRI.
Many steps to go thru before the operation. She got a blood work-up at a lab near home. She goes fer her CT scan Friday. Something we consider "another step in the process" is that she's required to get a simple checkup at a regular doctor to make sure she's healthy enough for surgery. So she went to our local health center. You know how it works - they have a group of doctors and you see whoever is on the schedule. Well, she drew the doc nobody likes. The one who once failed to diagnose my shingles, and once failed to diagnose her jaundice. He made it all about himself. He was furious that the visit was the first time he was hearing about her ailment. He was supposed to get a referral letter, apparently, but never did. Mary says he went on a self-important rant as if he was the center of the whole process and yelled at her. He did the checkup, but said he's not signing her release until everybody else faxes him all the other test results, dammit! (Even, apparently, ones he's not responsible for - the surgeon is the central doctor in this). She came home upset, worried that he was going to screw up the surgery schedule, and cried for the first time in this whole mess. She lay awake all night worrying. She had to go back this morning to leave a pee sample, so she spoke to the office manager, who actually hear him yelling at her and was very apologetic and reassuring. She says there's no way he can hold things up, and we still have two weeks to get all the prep done. Mary asked for a different doctor anyway, but we don't know if that will work out. Mary then called all the other doctors involved and told them to fax this guy everything and anything. He wants paperwork, she says, I'll bury him in it! Then she got a bit wicked and said, since she handles the insurance at her office, she knows exactly what to do to lodge complaints and get this guy in trouble. I suspect it won't be the first time. Really, anybody we mentioned his name to says they don't like him. Well I guess this whole process couldn't go without at least one asshole turning up.
Despite everyone not liking him, I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up being the first person to get him in trouble for it. First, because many people see doctors as so powerful that they assume there's nothing they can do, and second, because most people probably DON'T know the right channels, and when they're sick are in no mood to try to find them...
Okay, Dr. Dickhead cleared her for surgery, even without the chest X-Ray. Maybe somebody yelled at him. Whew. Mary picked up the results of her blood & urine tests, and we were looking at them out of curiosity. The urine test showed a high count of foreign epithelials. She looks at me with a smile and says "You know what that means?" Well, epithelials are skin cells. So foreign means - whoops guess we should have abstained the night before a pee test.
Pre-op visit for blood work and x-rays today. The people at Valley hospital are very nice and reassuring. Turns out my big sister down in SC is getting her collostomy reconnected the same day, only a few hours earlier. What are the odds of that?!
Yay, three day work week! (Followed by major surgery, 3-5 days in the hospital and weeks of recovery) :/
Trying to help Mary not worry by reminding her that her sister will be here for a week to help. Lead to a conversation that went something like this: M: "You're probably going to have to do all the cooking, I won't be ambulatory for a while." Me: "Don't worry, your sister will be here." M: "You remember how to take care of the dog?" Me: "Don't worry, your sister will be here." M: "I've stocked up on food and cleaning supplies, but you may have to go shopping for more." Me: "Don't worry, your sister will be here." M: "You know, we're not going to be able to have sex for quite a while after this!" Me: "Don't worry, your sister will be here."
