A Bit of a “Hitch”in my Giddyup….

I know, I get it, I am NOT very good at keeping up my own blogging..I actually have no really good reason, so I will blame it on my attention span.  Lately, a few other things have become apparent and need a bit more of my very short attention span..First of all, as you all know, the elders are moving home (this Friday, YIKES!), so I have been busy getting their home in order, buying them a new bed, getting someone to fix their refrigerator, buying things they will need when home, the list is too long to post.  Dennis and I went to see our Cardiologist for the yearly OK,” you’re good to go”.  Long story short, he didn’t like my total cholesterol numbers and ordered some high flying VAP blood test.  He also recommended I see an Endocrinologist concerning some of my symptoms: tired, crabby, (OK, those are 2 I really don’t like to admit to), heart palpitations, high BP, Calcium in  my blood…and last but not least, the ever dreaded KIDNEY STONES! ..

First I marched myself down to my GP’s office in Sandwich, blood test order in hand, …and no one there had ever heard of such a blood test.  The nurse there recommended I take my mysterious order to the Valley West Hospital Lab.  Valley West is our local hospital, which has just undergone an overhaul on the interior.

 

Pretty nice remodel job..wonder what these tests will cost me???..Turns out I stumped the Lab Tech up there too, but she got out her book and looked it up…In a matter of minutes, the Vampires had my blood..I asked how long it would take to get the results….”Oh, these are specialized tests, and they have to go to Mayo to be read”…ALRIGHTY, THEN..I  proceeded to do the next thing on my list..call the Endocrinologist I was referred to and make an appointment…Long story longer, at first it looked like I would have a wait to get in..UNTIL I dropped my Cardio Doc’s name..then magically a cancellation appeared and I could get in the next day..YES!!!!

I’m not going to bore you with my medical mystery tour much longer, but I did love this adorable little lady Dr…She asked my tons of questions, focusing in on family history of Thyroid trouble..No, I didn’t have any in my family that I KNEW of…She had me turn around and felt my neck…BINGO!..”You have a nodule on your thyroid”. “ Nodule” ….I guess that is the nicer word..She could have said, lump, bump, growth, knot, mass, tumor, blob, clump, protuberance, chunk or hunk…Then she started rattling off words like , Vitamin D levels, Calcium tests, blood panel, thyroid ultrasound and FNAB.. I pretty much understood all but the last group of letters..I should have known they don’t actually SAY Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy right away…At any rate, I was NOT expecting her to actually find said “nodule”so quickly!. She informed me I was in for more Lab tests, a 24 hour urine catch (one of my all –time most mortifying tests..like peeing in a hat and saving it for one full day.).  Also included was a Thyroid ultrasound..The final step would be the FNAB, to determine if there was any Cancer or not..Just for the record, 90-95% of these lump, bump, nodules are NOT Cancer……..   This last “poke” will determine if I need surgery or not…Whatever it takes, just let’s “git ‘er done!”

Needless to say, I have been getting poked, prodded, gooped up with gel and rolled over for the past few days.  BRING ON THOSE RESULTS AND LET’S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!!!!

  

 

Rush Copley Healthcare Facility, where my Thyroid Ultrasound took place Friday AM….”Lie back, sweetie,  and tip your head waaay back.  Now, I’m going to put some cold gel on  your neck and  press an instrument around for 15 minutes while you try to pretend  you can swallow and not get dizzy, while in this position”…then, about 15 minutes later,”OK, you can sit back up now..OOPS, be careful, you are a little shakey..Dizzy too?, Yes, that  happens”..  What EVER!! Let me outta hear, I have a huge craving for a  McDouble burger.

Enough about ME…Let’s talk about travel!  I felt the need to get the Cave Dwellers some camping reservations for Texas this December..MacGyver says he will probably be out of the corn and beans by middle of November or slightly later..I already have the whole family coming the weekend of Nov. 22nd (our 44th Wedding Anniversary, by the way) for our Cave-A-Palooza early Thanksgiving Celebration..”God willing and the creek don’t rise”.  I figure with any luck we could be leaving right about Thanksgiving Day or that following weekend..sooooo…I booked us into Buckhorn Creek, Lake O' The Pines in the Piney Woods, Jefferson TX( in Northeast Texas)..We check in on Dec. 8th and stay 10 days…We have stayed here before. Here are a few pics of this place.

This is site 113, and we have it booked again..a perfect site..PLUS, we get an “old geezer’s” discount of half price camping!! WOOT!WOOT!

I cannot wait to get to Jefferson again…One place everyone should see, especially at Xmas time… OK…let’s all repeat after me..”WE WILL GET TO JEFFERSON, WE WILL GET TO JEFFERSON, WE DADGUM WILL GET TO JEFFERSON THIS DECEMBER!!!!!!..Thanks everyone…. I needed that!!

“A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them.”  ~Leonard Louis Levinson