Monday, April 18, 2016
I went to the hematologist this morning. My friend Bert went with me, because I thought a second set of ears and eyes - and a brain - might come up with questions that I couldn't.
The appointment started with me filling out a million papers, even though I had filled out the ones that they had sent me in the mail. But they hadn't sent anything that had to do with "privacy" issues, so I had to fill all those out. Sigh. (Still a good reason to hate going to a different doctor!)
Then it was back to the back so the nurses could get my vitals. My BP was good for a change - 124/78 - and when she entered my weight, she questioned me about what it used to be. It felt to admit that, yes, it used to be 50+ pounds more than what it is now! She was impressed, too, and that made me feel good - but, of course, she was a stick woman. She also poked my finger with a vicious little machine so that they could check my white blood count and lymphocytes quickly and see if they have changed. Damn, did that hurt!
The result did come quickly and nothing has changed much, so that's good and bad.
Back to the exam room for the actual visit, and here we go...
He asks questions, answers questions, pokes and prods, and does all the things doctors do. We have a good discussion about things, because you know I have done some research on the things Doc and I talked about a couple of weeks ago, and then he finally breaks the news to me.
Although he could not give me an official diagnosis today, he thinks that I most probably have CLL - Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia. I am asymptomatic, which is a big part in leading him to think this. He will do more blood tests to confirm, so I have to come back in two weeks. So the narrowing down and/or ruling out begins...they draw three vials of blood before I leave.
It is MOST important to focus on the first word - chronic - instead of the last word - leukemia. This is the type of leukemia that they can do nothing for. As long as you, the patient, are asymptomatic, there is nothing to do. When the symptoms start showing up, that's when other things (like treatment) can, and have to, start happening. They can only keep an eye on it, and you. Three cheers for the vampires, right? Ugh.
But - this diagnosis is the second-best diagnosis I could have received today. The best would have been Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but evidently that was not to be. But for it not to be any worse than that was the best news of all, because anything worse than CLL would have been devastating - totally devastating!
When we left the doctor's office, Bert and I went to lunch. We went to Longhorn and I had one of my almost-perfect salads. Man, was it ever good! I was very rude to Bert and spent a lot of time texting to family and friends, because I had promised them all to tell them my news as soon as I knew anything. She said she didn't mind, she understood, but I still felt bad. But that was the quickest way to tell the most people, so that was what I did.
We finally left to come home, and I had no sooner stepped in the door when I got a text from Ron, so I changed my shoes and took off walking. Jiminy Christmas, was it hot!
We got back home, and that was it for the day. I got on the pute and he plopped in his chair.
Old geezes unite!
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