Friday, February 23, 2007
My Way or the Hi-way
(4)
The big news for me this week (tap) was another colonoscopy plus an upper endoscopy. Kaiser had bugged me to do the colonoscopy in a registered letter, warning that I faced 'serious health problems' if I failed to do so. But I put it off for a year or so in view of a more immediate concern (my DVT (boom) and the blood thinner regimen: I wanted to get to a stable state before introducing complications: I am the boss because I am the patient. It is my way or the hi-way.)
But I am such a nice guy. That is my problem.
So when I finally went for the procedure last Monday at 1330 I protested too little. My appointment was with my favorite Gastro-Enterologist, Doctor Bill. He had discovered my colon cancer (tap) back in 1999 and had advised me even before the bioposy that, 'This is cancer. I know it.' So did I. Doctor Bill (unfortunately I did not get permission to use his real name (thump)) eventually did two other colonoscopys, snipping out at least a handful of 'polyps' which might eventually have become cancerous. He was good. Real good.)
But at the time I saw no need to rush the operation: 'It's been there for years. Can't you give me a week or two to adjust to the reality? No?'
No. Kaiser insisted, and they ressected the tumor the next day. I became known locally as 'the splenic flexure.' It was literally terrifying to be totally at the mercy of (small stomp above me) other people. But it worked, and I survived, and Monday Doctor Bill pronounced me 'cured.' I knew it too, of course. But the honeymoon ended there.
The big news for me this week (tap) was another colonoscopy plus an upper endoscopy. Kaiser had bugged me to do the colonoscopy in a registered letter, warning that I faced 'serious health problems' if I failed to do so. But I put it off for a year or so in view of a more immediate concern (my DVT (boom) and the blood thinner regimen: I wanted to get to a stable state before introducing complications: I am the boss because I am the patient. It is my way or the hi-way.)
But I am such a nice guy. That is my problem.
So when I finally went for the procedure last Monday at 1330 I protested too little. My appointment was with my favorite Gastro-Enterologist, Doctor Bill. He had discovered my colon cancer (tap) back in 1999 and had advised me even before the bioposy that, 'This is cancer. I know it.' So did I. Doctor Bill (unfortunately I did not get permission to use his real name (thump)) eventually did two other colonoscopys, snipping out at least a handful of 'polyps' which might eventually have become cancerous. He was good. Real good.)
But at the time I saw no need to rush the operation: 'It's been there for years. Can't you give me a week or two to adjust to the reality? No?'
No. Kaiser insisted, and they ressected the tumor the next day. I became known locally as 'the splenic flexure.' It was literally terrifying to be totally at the mercy of (small stomp above me) other people. But it worked, and I survived, and Monday Doctor Bill pronounced me 'cured.' I knew it too, of course. But the honeymoon ended there.
