Preparation for Upcoming Radio Silence

I know that it's not like I post here every single day, or even on a regular basis, but there may be some time coming up when you really don't hear from me for a while.

You may remember that last month was The Big Fall, when I was in the ER for a couple of days, and then home recovering with stitches, etc.  During the time I was in the hospital, they did many many tests to be certain I didn't break any bones (I didn't), and that my fall had not been caused by a cardiac problem (it wasn't).

But as a result of the tests, they did find a mass on my right kidney, which has shown to be cancer.  Today I will go for several x-rays and MRIs in preparation for my upcoming surgery.  I already had a day of tests and dr visits this past Monday.  Friday afternoon, I have an appt with a cardiologist.

So many doctors.  So many tests.  But it works out to be a good thing in the end.  The urologic surgeon said that if I hadn't fallen, I probably would not have symptoms of kidney problems until the tumor had gotten to the point where they could not do much to help me.  The Big Fall turned out to be a Big Bonus.

I am lucky.  I have great doctors, live in an area with wonderful healthcare, and via The Tim's employer, I have good health insurance.  The surgeon told me that he thinks I will recover just fine.  Those things are keeping me sane.

Sadly, my employer does not offer short-term disability, and because we are not allowed to carry over sick time or vacation time, I will only be paid for six days of the six weeks I will be out of work.  Thanks to the Family Leave and Medical Act (FMLA), I will be guaranteed a job when I return to work, but it's gonna be tricky to have to pay bills, etc. with only one person's paycheck.  These are the things that are worrying me.

But in the end, the good outweighs the bad.  I have a supportive spouse and family, and lots of friends.  I have the kitties and Dug the Doodle Dog.  I have determination to work hard to get back to my usual level of health and activity.

So please keep a good thought for me.  On July 28, I will be having a partial nephrectomy (unless when they open me up things are worse than they initially appeared to be, and they do a full nephrectomy), and then going into my recovery period.  I may not post for a while, but I will definitely be back!

Here's hoping the rest of your summer is less eventful than mine ... :-)

Marble Lip

I am recovering (or really, have recovered) from The Big Fall about a month ago.  Most of the bruises have faded, and I have regained my confidence to just walk around without worrying.

However, I'm still stuck with Marble Lip.  And it a) hurts, and b) drives me nuts.  What, you may ask, is Marble Lip?  Well, as a result of my fall, I got stitches in my upper lip, both inside and outside.  And I guess that I have some scar tissue, because I have a big bump on the right side of my top lip, where the scars are.  I don't mind the scars at all, they are no big deal, but the bump drives me nuts.  It keeps my lips from "closing" properly, and when I touch it or accidently bump it, it does hurt.  

The only way I can describe it is to say that it is what I imagine it would feel like/look like if you had a marble under the skin of your lip - really uncomfortable!  Because of Marble Lip, I can still only eat or drink out of one side of my mouth, and my sandwiches must be in small strips, like tea sandwiches.  I also have to use a straw to drink anything.

I have an appt with the plastic surgeon who did my breast reconstruction years ago, to see if it can be dealt with.  Having said that, I won't be able to do anything about it if insurance doesn't cover it; and I really don't have time to take off work to have it taken care of.  But if nothing else, at least I'll know if it is a temporary condition, or if Marble Lip will become a permanent part of my face.

As one of my sisters would say, "White People Problems."  :-)