My furlough from medical appointments ends on Monday.
Despite the call from stupid voices in my head to shut the process down, I have decided that it is for the betterment of my general health to keep it going. One little vote was all I needed.
Monday I need to leave for Boston bright and early for a 9:45 appointment at Dana-Farber with Dr. Goguen, the doctor who is in charge of my tongue. I have been swishing and spitting like crazy to make the spot go away and avoid a biopsy. I stuck my tongue way out in the mirror and saw that a small white area is still there on the side. Well, I'll have to see what she says.
After that I have an appointment at the Kraft Donor Center for a therapeutic phlebotomy, basically a blood-letting to help lower the outrageous amount of ferritin stored on my liver. The process will make me a little anemic. I hope I reboot for tennis on Wednesday.
Next Wednesday I am scheduled for penicillin allergy testing at Brigham and Women's. I have been putting this off for a while, because who wants to be stuck with needles and wait around to see if you blow up? (Slight exaggeration, sorry.) That allergy has been on my chart since childhood, making it impossible for me to take this good drug, and I am wondering if I still have it or ever did.
Coincidentally, news stories have been focusing on the over-use of broad spectrum antibiotics and the probability that many people who think they are penicillin-allergic probably aren't.
I'm staying overnight Wednesday (missing tennis!) and then going to have a piece of my lip cut off on Thursday. (Sorry, another exaggeration. It will be a small piece.)
Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
1 comment:
I hear you about devoting so much time to medical issues as though you're an experiment, which you are.
Mart and I were just discussing the penicillin allergy and how I'm probably no longer allergic because I have a new immune system.
Hope the tongue thing works out.
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