my dr visit today - warning, tmi ahead!

I feel like 2009 has been one medical crisis after another. Maybe I'm getting it all out of my system and I'm going to be ten feet tall and bullet proof when I'm old.

The following includes what some might consider TMI... so if you're a real life friend and it would make you feel icky to know that there's microscopic blood in my pee... stop reading before this sentence. Ha! The medical term is hematuria - which sounds much better, don't you think?

I mentioned earlier in the year when I had a particularly uncomfortable procedure done at the ENT... that I couldn't help but wonder what would make a person specialize in snot. I had those same thoughts today... but the urologist is really nice, left-handed (which matters to me - I judge people based on that) and funny! His entire office staff was fun, lighthearted and super kind. I guess if you spend your day dealing with pee...

The CT scan from last week showed "no visable stones" which means that there could be stones, small ones, which is why I'm having pain that gets worse and gets better and isn't the usual horrific kidney stone pain (thank the good Lord!). There is no infection, which is awesome because usually those infections stay with me forever and this went away quickly. There are no masses or deformities, which is great. There's just blood.

So we go through and eliminate the different things that could cause hematuria. The biggest concern is always cancer and he DOES NOT think that is the problem but he has to eliminate it as an issue... so since we've already done the least invasive thing already (a CT scan) without determining a cause of HEMATURIA... he wants to do a cystoscopy. It's not a huge deal, it's an office procedure, the recovery time is minimal but... you can't drive after you've had it done.

I'm thinking... crap... I just raised my deductible... so I asked, "can we do this THIS year so I'm not paying out of pocket?" and would you believe they were able to get me scheduled for THIS Friday (as in, day after tomorrow) at 4pm which is the absolute best time possible to do it since that will allow me to work most of the day Friday and have the weekend to recover! And since I have my handy dandy State Farm Hospital Indemnity Policy... I'll be reimbursed $100 for having that outpatient procedure. Best insurance policy I've ever bought! Seriously! Ask your agent for one - or if you're in Georgia, ask me about it.

The problem is that I have to have someone drive me. Not sure how that will work yet... Angie and Jim are going out of town for their anniversary so they won't be able to help. She's trying to find someone from the church who can help OR... my good old dad will take me.

I'm finding that I am absolutely fine with being single until something like this comes up and then it totally bums me out. I had a minor meltdown after I left the doctor's office when I realized that I would need to get anything done that needed to be done this weekend between today and tomorrow... and we have our office Christmas party tomorrow night... AND... Miss Totally Unstressed About Christmas has done absolutely nothing to get ready for Christmas so I have no tree, no presents, no baking done... and... well, I might just not get those things done. And if I don't... Christmas will still happen and we will survive.

Just in case, I did go and buy stocking stuffers on my way home. My kids might get cash tied up with a ribbon. Or... without ribbon as I don't have any... and everybody else might get... well, I don't know... I bought groceries since we had been living off the bounty of the pantry for the past week and I think if Austin had grilled cheese or hot dogs one more time this week he might just leave home.

And... speaking of which... I have not eaten a single meal today. I had an apple and crackers for breakfast/lunch. I had a handful of pistacios and a piece of pumpkin pie when I got home. Healthy eating, right? I must be sick. I'm not hungry.

So that's the big haps for today. This too shall pass. Merry Merry Merry Christmas!
God bless!