I first saw my doctor on December 12, and since December 22, I've had the following tests:
- Ultrasound - not invasive at all. Super easy, a bit ticklish and done in 20 minutes.
- CT scan- this was done on Christmas Eve. After being told I had an unidentified mass in my pelvis, I felt like a man walking toward the gallows going to this test.
- Blood tests- Blood, Blood and lots of Blood in a cancer diagnosis.
- PET Scan - My darkest day in this whole episode. This is when you have a realization that highly trained professionals, who have given the better part of their life to understanding and treating cancer, believe you have cancer.
- Testicular ultrasound - Ok, this was not fun for me, see blog above, the doctor prescribed anti-anxiety meds which were AWESOME!!! No wonder so many folks are addicted to modern pharmaceuticals.
- Pelvic Biopsy - Otherwise called "fun with long needles!" At least the meds are good.
- More Blood tests
- Mediastinal Surgery - Needed to get a really "hot" lymph node next to my aorta because the pelvic biopsy showed no cancer.
- Heart Function Test
- Lung Function Test
- Chemo Port installed
During these procedures the medical staff has been unbelievably, undeniably, unmistakably FANTASTIC!!!!! If any of the folks who have helped me over the last 2 months are reading this, please know you have been true professionals and the level of caring and compassion is really amazing.
Think of a person't usual experience with customer service, maybe a smile from the clerk at the grocery store, or a pleasant IT rep as you try to diagnose a computer issue or your mechanic cutting you a break after they fix your car. Well, the folks responsible for all my tests have been on another planet when it comes to seeing me through this. THANK YOU!!!! A great many organizations could learn a valuable lesson from you when it comes to taking care of people.
The crazy thing about these tests is not so much the pain or side effects that are involved, but each one is a troubled monument on the scenic byway between the old life and my new one. When you are on this fun little detour, prior to a diagnosis, you are damaged goods. Don't expect to think or act the same, you feel like you are standing in the deep end of a pool while an unknown force controls the tube allowing you to breathe. You don't know at what moment the air will be shut off or if you will be allowed to walk to the shallow end, so you just stand there, in this limbo that becomes your life until a diagnosis.
Few people would describe me as emotional, I'm a firm believer that most guys have basically 3 emotions; Pissed, Happy or Horny. That's about it, so the first few weeks of this was a real eye opener, then just before my surgery I got Pissed and all was right with the world.
Think of a person't usual experience with customer service, maybe a smile from the clerk at the grocery store, or a pleasant IT rep as you try to diagnose a computer issue or your mechanic cutting you a break after they fix your car. Well, the folks responsible for all my tests have been on another planet when it comes to seeing me through this. THANK YOU!!!! A great many organizations could learn a valuable lesson from you when it comes to taking care of people.
The crazy thing about these tests is not so much the pain or side effects that are involved, but each one is a troubled monument on the scenic byway between the old life and my new one. When you are on this fun little detour, prior to a diagnosis, you are damaged goods. Don't expect to think or act the same, you feel like you are standing in the deep end of a pool while an unknown force controls the tube allowing you to breathe. You don't know at what moment the air will be shut off or if you will be allowed to walk to the shallow end, so you just stand there, in this limbo that becomes your life until a diagnosis.
Few people would describe me as emotional, I'm a firm believer that most guys have basically 3 emotions; Pissed, Happy or Horny. That's about it, so the first few weeks of this was a real eye opener, then just before my surgery I got Pissed and all was right with the world.
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