News on the medical front

Yesterday was all kind of medical news. First I will start with the cat. (I swear he is playing games with my mind as part of an evil plot to drive me insane.) The vet called me back and said if he is having problems with his back and rear legs this is probably a sign that all the things we have treated recently are related in some big bad way and the only way to find out what it really is would be to take him for expensive tests and x-rays. Currently he is acting normally, begging for kitty treats, drinking out of my water glass, demanding attention, etc and seems to be feeling no pain.

We are in wait and see mode for now. It is sad but he is also perfectly happy to eat kitty treats day in and day out and beg for canned food. But his mobility is definitely impaired and I think he has some vision problems at least in one eye. But he's happy and not in any apparent pain.

Second medical news is that I went to the dermatologist yesterday to find out about my rash and get my stitch out. The biopsy was inconclusive. I have either eczema, psoriasis, or an allergic reaction to a medication. But it is not cancer. (There is a rare form of breast cancer that manifests itself as a rash.) So the plan is to wait and see if it returns. The weird thing is that if it is eczema or psoriasis it should respond to the steroid cream I was given and it doesn't really. One spot will take more than four weeks to go away... even if I treat it. If it does return, I am to call and she said she can try injecting (oh, joy, another needle) into the spots and see if that helps at all.

Third medical news is that the pain doctor's office did not call back. I called on Monday and left a message. They called me back and said they would give my info to the doctor and have the nurse call me back. I know the doctor was in surgery on Monday so he probably didn't get the message until yesterday so I assume that the nurse will call today. If she doesn't call this morning, I will call again and see what's going on. Sometimes, they just schedule appointments for you and don't call.

Fourth medical news is that the physician's assistant I saw a couple of weeks ago called me on Monday to say that she had the ultrasound results and they were normal (just like the doctor's message said) but that she would call me again to discuss them. She didn't call yesterday so I will call today and leave my cell number so may be we can actually connect. If its normal, why do the messages keep saying they want to discuss it?

Final news on the medical front is not about me or the cat but Farrah Fawcett. There was an employee at UCLA medical center who was selling her medical information to the National Enquirer. She set up a sting to figure out what was going on - even though she was in treatment for cancer. I admire her. She is speaking up for what is right even though she is at a very difficult point in her life.

Today I am going for a walk and going to exterminate the nasty weed that is invading my garden. This involves an expedition behind our house and possibly climbing up the retaining wall. (But don't tell Walter, he thinks I should wait and let him do it.) I also have mundane things to do like - paying bills, possibly some ironing. Life goes on.