Had a visit to an ENT yesterday at Emory to further diagnose my chronic sinusitis (Oto-rhino-laryngologist). I must admit, I don't really enjoy seeing cross-section diagrams of what's anatomically going on inside one's throat and head. Seeing all the cavaties and tissues and bones kinda weirds me out.
Nonetheless, I had to be there. I sat in the chair for quite somet time awaiting the ENT doc. When he came in, he immediately started grabbing 'tools' out of his drawer and throwing them onto the counter - one by one. No room for chit-chat here. Even though there was no real bed in the room, his bedside manner was lacking.
He probed some metallic holepuncher-looking device into each ear and made a 'hmmpf' sound. Then grabbed my tongue with gauze and stuck a mirror to the back of my throat. 'Say ahhh.' I tried, but gagged. He commented on how I had a sensitive gag reflex. Thanks, doc. Could've told you that.
Then he fired up an electronic machine and said he would spray something up each nostril to numb it. And that it does not taste good. Felt like someone blowing up each nostril with chemical-breath.
Then he said he was going to take a look. Jammed some sort of little camera up there on a flexible line. Geesh. 'Hang with me, hang with me. A little swollen in there,' he said. The sensation was... unenjoyable.
So he said I needed more antibiotics, this time to be combined with a steriod. Only then would he know if I needed surgery. Keep in mind that I've already been on three rounds of antibiotics for this... so this will make four. Given that I have some side effects from the steroid used during the chemo, hearing this prescription made me ancy. MORE pills? MORE drugs? Hmmmm. I dunno.
I am supposed to take three weeks of Augmentin (AMOX/CLAV) coupled with a round of Prednisone and then return for my zillionth scan.
Trying to keep a positive attitude on things... but as you may be able to tell, I'm pretty much ready to be done with this!
'BKO'... My employer is in Ch. 11 bankruptcy, still, but fortunately there's no additional drama to report on this front. I marvel daily that I have a job at all, given the 17.5% unemployment/underemployment rate. WOW.
Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of this roller-coaster. It was Nov 12th, 2008 that it all started... the stomach pains, the emergency appendectomy, the diagnosis, the re-diagnosis, the chemo...
It's a year that has flown by, nevertheless. I am compelled to reflect on the past twelve months -- and see if I'm able to assess just how I feel about it, and how it has affected me and how I view life, faith, and the world around me. I'm not naturally prone to do so, so I will force myself in the coming days!
Our Brand Is Crisis (2015)
8 years ago
6 comments:
How in the world has a year gone by? I will never forget that night - the ER late at night, emergency surgery in the wee hours of the night...I slept in a chair in a waiting room by myself. And when you got out of surgery, we thought the worst was over....but it was only beginning. One week later they told us the "C" news. What a year, baby.
A walking miracle. You are.
One year... Congratulations, it is a landmark.
Reflecting on this whole thing is a good thing... Maybe I say that because I'm just a very introspective person who then writes to everyone who cares to read about what I conclude.
Nonetheless, I would highly recommend taking some time to reflect on the last year.
Hoping this round of antibiotics takes care of that nasty sinusitis,
Sam
What a year. WOW. We will never forget it. You are a testimony of His grace and love.
Congrats, you've earned it.
Your story continues to inspire me.
Daniel Server
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