Welp, I'm a bit disheartened today, but it's all miniscule compared to what other forum folks face on a daily basis, especially tomorrow for Barbara.
I went to my surgery appointment at 9 am, checked in, filled out the paperwork, was taken back to a room and told that there was a glitch in scheduling, and I was only scheduled for a consultation today . . . BUT they would squeeze me in for a biopsy. (gee, thanks)
(I DID have the correct paperwork with the procedure, time, and surgeon. And If I didn't live out of town, I think they would've told me to come back.)
Okay--so, I met with the surgeon and he told me to go ahead to dermatology and have my pre-cancerous spots frozen, and then come back to the surgery department. Within a couple of hours, they "fit" me into the schedule. As soon as the surgeon finished with my biopsy, he told me, "You don't have temporal arteritis," as he put the almost two-inch piece of artery into a liquid solution. That was rather blunt, and I felt it was a bit out of line to jump to that conclusion and blurt it out like that.
I guess he thought that the artery he chose looked plenty healthy, but all arteries do not show the problem, sometimes a second biopsy is needed.
My cough had gone from a chronic dry cough to being deeper in my chest (within the last few days)--and I've started coughing up some crud. His opinion was that I needed some scans and x-rays and my lungs checked out, along with other things. BUT, hey! My symptoms are very classic for TA!
I went to my rheumatologist's department and left him a note, telling him what the surgeon had said, and since I'm here in town, would he like to go ahead with some other testing before the ANA (titer) blood work and biopsy results are ready?
In hindsight, that was a silly question to ask. His nurse called me at 4:30 pm and said that he wants to wait for all the test results and the doctors' reports before he makes a decision. So, I'll keep taking my low dose of prednisone and feeling crummy and like it's all in my imagination--although I know it's not.
Glad I was able to spend a couple of hours at the vintage shop down the street--what a nice female proprietor--and so many cool things. I scored some good stuff. :)
Joy, I also got a floppy straw hat and thought of you! ;)
And, Joie, thought of you in the vintage shop, too. All kinds of oldie goldie treasures--
I was tired after a couple of hours, and came back to my room after raiding the vending machine. My tummy is NOT happy with me--at all. Spending money and eating junk--sounds like a case of down-in-the dumps, huh?
I'll be heading home tomorrow. SO, with this visit, I'm thankful for a terrific hotel room and the visit to the vintage shop and meeting a nice person there.
Hope all of you have a good night's sleep--
Jan
Post Edited (jan1952) : 6/2/2014 9:40:28 PM (GMT-6)