Sigh....

I probably woke up every hour on the hour last night. I'd look at the clock, groan, roll over, and go back to sleep.  When I wasn't getting up to pee, that is.  Figured if I was awake, why not.  I'm sure the lack of sleep is contributing to my very pissy mood today.  I did bake a pan of brownies, though, so I'll be better in a bit.

I won't go into the very boring details of my medical saga. In short...got a voice message early this morning saying my doctor called in sick so please reschedule.  I'd been eagerly awaiting this particular appt all week long and started to cry.  Didn't cry a lot. Just a little. Mostly I stomped around the house saying very bad words.  Then I decided I'd see another doctor instead.  All I wanted was to find out the results of the 2nd MRI and if I was going to have to be referred to a Seattle neurosurgeon.

Luckily, I got in within the hour.  Unfortunately, this doctor had absolutely no interest whatsoever in answering any of my questions. And he wasn't interested in making a referral because the data would come back to him instead of my regular doctor and "we can't have that."  The 'girl' came in and said my doctor would be in touch after she made a referral but if I didn't hear in two weeks, then call back.
I stomped off to my car in a really bad mood!

Went to Safeway and bought brownie mix. Brownies fix most things.

Got home and decided to call Swedish on my own. After a whole lot of rigamarole where the receptionist had never heard of the doctor I asked about, and after getting transferred and ending up with voice mail, I finally get a call from a girl wanting to know who Dr. Blankenship was.  Sigh....
She then tells me I can't make my own appointment and will just have to wait until the doctor calls in the referral.  Then (maybe a week later) they'll call me to schedule.  Oh, and this doctor is booked through November.  I hung up and went to bake the brownies.

I did get a copy of the MRI results. Makes me wonder if I even needed a 2nd MRI. Findings: Mildly septated syrinx extending from the upper margin of T7 to the mid body of T9, unchanged in appearance from prior exam. No associated contrast enhancement within the syrinx or surrounding cord. No other interval change from prior exam.

So.... I guess my diagnosis is syringomyelia -- a fluid-filled cyst (syrinx) within the spinal cord. As much as I've googled and googled, it's all kinda over my head.  I'll just have to play a waiting game now and see the Seattle doc whenever he can work me in.  With my luck, he'll schedule surgery over Christmas. If I even need surgery.  I just hate not knowing. 

And you know....if I was related to  Obama, I wouldn't be having this wait.  (that's my answer everytime I'm inconvenienced by the medical world.)  No one thinks I'm special except me!

Well, I'll just have to get over myself, I guess.  Need to walk away from this computer for a few hours.  I spend entirely too much time "lookin' stuff up."  Maybe I should take up drinking. I bet my personality would improve. I know my mood would.

Got a real nice email from Kim Seelye Jones today. She told me there's a possibility her book (Dandelion Growing Wild) might be made into a movie....IF it sells well in book stores is one hurdle. So buy it!  I'd love to see another movie about Port Townsend.  And guess what?!  It's a pretty darn good read!  I love seeing places I'm familiar with and people I know in book form. Good entertainment.  Her step-dad, by the way, was in my class until he transferred. He's in my sophomore annual.  Top row on the right. (click to enlarge)

Gotta pick up the twins in a couple hours.  They're at a school dance in the gym right now. Wish I could go early and take pictures but they would kill me.  Mary and Andy are in Rochester, NY and will attend his high school reunion tomorrow.  I'm gonna have lunch with girl friends next Wednesday as we celebrate Linny Lou Pedersen's 69th birthday.

I renewed my subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine.  I got a few issues for a dollar and then called in to cancel.  Yesterday, another issue arrived and it was full of information I was interested in. Everything from books, music, politics, gossip, movie stars. Decided I needed to keep it coming.

Here's a clever picture I saw on Facebook today from Quiltmaker Magazine.

 

And against my better judgement because he already gets entirely too much press...here's an idiot.

 

 

Rosie O'Donnell was on Dr. Oz yesterday talking about her heart attack.  I loved listening to her. She has a definite stage presence.  You could tell Oz was taken with her too.  She said it like it is and of course, I had chest pain the rest of the day and didn't feel all that well.