Fit as a Fiddle!

September was a month that seemed to whiz by so quickly I barely had time for anything let alone to write. With the exception of my niece being born, I can’t say that it was a terribly exciting month. What I can tell you about September is that it felt as if I had something to do or someplace to go just about ever week. Well, it didn’t just feel that way- it was that way.

I left off in August that I had all these medical ailment that I needed to get checked out. I try and be optimistic when I can, but your mind tends to get the best of you at times- especially when just about every other doctor has a new diagnosis and cancer and kidney failure are thrown in there a few times. That being said, I embarked upon the month of September with my entire calendar booked for appointments, testing and follow up visits. One doctor had something growing on my uterus and ovaries so that prompted a visit to the gynecologist. Another doctor has found a cyst on my kidney so that prompted a visit to the radiologist. Because of my age and to get baselines for future testings and screenings, that prompted more tests. Some doctors ran routine blood work- other ran tests to check for specific ailments.

When all was said and done, in the month of September I went for about 3 urinalysis, 2 rounds of blood work- routine, lupus, kidney function and whatever else one doctor could think to check my blood for. I had a sonogram, an ultrasound, a CT scan, X- Rays a mammogram, a cystoscopy and a trip to the dermatologist. In the midst of everything else going on, I forgot to mention I had another freak thing happen to my face. I finished up some antibiotics I had at home in my secret stash but upon threats from my family that I needed to have things checked out and in fear I was going to look like the Bride of Frankenstein, I was urged to go to a dermatologist.

The dermatologist was no big deal really. He looked at my face real quick and thought that perhaps I had a bacterial infection of the skin and the antibiotics I had taken to control the infection spreading to various parts of my face was not strong enough, the right medication or not taken for long enough to kill it once and for all. Of course my mission for the last month has been to find out what is wrong, fix it, take tons of vitamins to rebuild my immunity and get off the antibiotics……well, not so fast on the last part at least. The dermatologist suggested an antibiotic that I should take for about a month along with a face wash and then he felt I should be fine. He didn’t even try and swindle me for money for a co-pay with an unnecessary follow up appointment. The face wash dried up my face but nothing and little moisturizer and washing once a day instead of the recommended twice a day can’t fix. As for the antibiotics- they are still in progress but nothing freaky has happened to my face in the past three weeks which is a record for me these days. I just hope this stuff works and whatever it is that has been causing these freaky facial occurrences is gone once and for all because I really do not want to be the Bride of Frankenstein.


Moving along to my next doctor’s visit, upon the suggestion of one doctor that I had things growing on my ovaries/ uterus that could have been prompting all the issues- I went to the gynecologist. He sent me for blood work last time I was there but the results came back normal. I don’t think he was looking for anything in particular, just routine stuff or anything that he could think to easily test for as I was a bit of a nervous wreck the last time I was there. On that visit he did another pap smear and this time I luckily did not get a call back that things were abnormal. At the time, he did not see or feel anything out of the ordinary, but if it rested my mind at ease, he told me he would schedule me for a sonogram which he did. It was a bit awkward having that done- especially by a girl that looked like a spitting image of someone I went to High School with, but my uterus and ovaries all looked completely fine. No growths, no cysts, no fibroids, no tumors or other strange growths.

My next trip was to the radiologist where I had my CT scan, mammogram and X-rays done. The X-ray was obviously no big deal. The CT scan was a bit weird but I had sat waiting for my dad so many times that I sort of understood the process and what was to be expected. I needed to get that contrast and not having that done, I was a bit uncertain of how my body would react, but I was fine. I think the worst part is that they made me put my arms above my head for so long while holding still that it actually became painful after a while. And then there was the girl who pushed contrast in too fast. At first it felt as if my arm was burning but I think she just tried to juice me up with more than my poor little veins could handle at one time.

I had both pre and post contrast images done and the doctor wanted the films released to me so I came home with about 20 or so films of my abdomen and pelvis each containing about 16-20 slices of my insides. The worst part was I had to hold onto them for 2 weeks until my follow up appointment. Now not that I am a trained professional, but that did not stop me from looking and trying to figure out what was what. I do know that if it is anything bad, it would light up or show up differently on the CT scan image so I drove myself nuts trying to figure out the before and after contrast images and compare for any differences. Finally I gave up as it ultimately was going to be what it was going to be.

While I was there, I had my first ever mammogram. People made it out to be the most painful and dreadful thing I would experience. I have to say it was a bit odd, but in the interest of ruling out breast cancer one day (and well ruling out another ailment in my hypochondriac mind) it was what it was. I put on a gown, went into a room and the woman explained the entire process to me which was I think what made it less stressful. I did find it odd that after getting ready for work that morning, they made me wipe off all my deodorant. I asked why and they explained that any zinc/ aluminum derivatives in the deodorant might show up on the films as abnormal. I was a bit more comfortable with the entire idea once she explained the reasoning behind it, but I think the most nerve wracking part was wondering how I was going to re-apply my deodorant before work which would prompt a trip to the drugstore making me even later for work. Then there was the nipple jewelry they put on me. Basically it was like a miniature floral printed band aide with a metal ball as a marker or point of reference that shows up on the films. Having some woman put nipple band aides/ jewelry on me was a bit awkward but between that and the “wipe all you deodorant away with that cloth” I think they were the worst parts. Now don’t get me wrong…… not to downplay the fact that they smoosh your boob in some machine like a pancake, but it only lasted a few seconds and was no where near as painful as everyone made it out to be. (Maybe I just had a good tech.)

I spend one morning getting the CT Scan, Mammogram and X-Ray done. The following day I had an internal sonogram done. The day after that was a trip to the lab for more urine and blood test. All in all, those were not really what I was nervous about the most. I mean sure I was nervous of what the results would be, but my follow up visit to the urologist was what had me the most anxious. He was the one to interpret most of the results, tell me what was growing on my kidneys and to possibly perform a cystoscopy in his office to check the inside of my bladder.


For some reason, despite all the tests I had, I had a gut feeling it was all going to work out OK in the end. I mean there was a big part of me that wanted them to find out what was the problem just so I had some answers, but something deep down told me they would come up empty after all was said and done…..and they did. The urologist said my CT scan, X-Rays and lab work were fine. The cyst was apparently nothing to worry about (at least not at the time). He found no kidney stones on any of the films. Prior to leaving his office, he suggested looking into my bladder to look for fibroids and while I did not really want that test taking place, I figured I had everything else poked and prodded so what is one more test. After all, I had come so far to not rule out the last few possibilities. And so into a room I went and up went a tube and a camera into my bladder. He filled it with saline solution, spun the camera around to take a look and out he went. “Everything looks normal”, he said. He wants me back in 3 months just to see if there may be traces of microscopic blood in my urine, but unless I had problems sooner, he gave me a clean bill of health. Additional problems would prompt more invasive testing and he did not want to go that route unless he had. That worked for me since I was not about to jump on the “sign me up for more tests” bandwagon unless I absolutely had to.

I had every test imaginable and it all came out fine. Odd and unexplainable on one hand, but relieving and joyful on the other. No one knows for sure, but it had been suggested by several people that I may have passed a kidney stone. I suppose we will never know for sure, but for right now, I am fit as a fiddle. Hopefully my ailments are behind me now and I can concentrate on the things that really matter- like marrying the love of my life on the beach in St. Lucia in two weeks.


Until I write again……..