An Uncomfortable Physical

Today's rainy cold exactly matched my mood.

I don't like doctor's appointments and I am just back from my latest appointment with my hematologist, and today I had a long wait to get in, and finally a rather uncomfortable physical.

I have noticed some slight swellings around the neck and abdomen that I didn’t notice a few months ago. I decided not to say anything but to wait for the results of the physical exam.

In October there was some suggestion that after this appointment I would only have to check in every six months, not every 3 months.

As soon as my physical began, she immediately touched several of the new nodes that have developed and her fingers lingered on and probed the areas as though her intuitive or trained radar had picked up something.

She gave me a fair jab at one spot in my abdomen that caused me to yelp in pain.

She also did two blood pressure tests and told me that mine is “way high”. She suggested that I monitor it myself over the next few weeks to see if it remains high, and if it does to see my family doctor.

After the exam was over, she didn’t indicate that anything new had developed, but scheduled me for further blood tests in April, a new appointment and suggested that perhaps I would also have an x-ray and ultra-sound at that point.

This was not what I hoped to hear, and I walked away from the meeting feeling at one with the rainy gray day.

I had arranged to meet Nika for lunch afterwards, but I am afraid I was not very good company. Nika said, “You have your nice bright yellow shirt on dad, but why the frown?”

"Am I frowning?" I asked. I hadn't realized it. I tried to explain without upsetting her, but as my face matched my mood, I don’t think I did a very good job.

The good news...3 more months until further tests!!!