Because the older we get the more we talk about our health

My mother, a few years back, had a foot wound that I took photos of weekly and posted here on my blog. Ugh. What do I now do with all of the pictures in my camera stream? 

I posted them because not only did it gave me a blog entry, but it kept family members in the loop on my mom's health status, and I wasn't left to make a zillion phone calls each week. 

Today, when I sat down to write, I realized my cyst issue, still currently causing me problems, was on my mind, and I thought, "well, I'll tell everyone about this little irritation", and then I thought about a photo, and then I thought, "my god, I'm turning into my mother." 

I think it a lot, actually.

But the truth of the matter is this blog, originally started as a chronicle of my daughters' lives and a way to return to writing, is slowly becoming a journal of this floundering mother who isn't sure of her next role in life. 

Or, as I age, it's a discussion of my ailments. I'll spare you the pictures. Only because I can't take a decent photo of my own back. Or see the wound. Luckily, I have help.

Darcy: "It's really gross. Yuck." Gag, shiver, gag. "I mean, the hole is really deep and big, and nasty."

Tom: "Wow. That looks good. It's not nearly as big as I thought it would be."

I wrote about my cyst experience here, but I didn't conclude the saga. So...

Two weeks after the second draining of the cyst, the spot filled again. It then drained while I was in the shower one night. As the water beaded down upon my neck and back, I felt like I was being attacked by a jet of hot needles, and after toweling off, I found the lump was gone, and when Madison investigated, she discovered a small hole from where blood and a clear liquid seeped. 

Madison bandaged it, and the next day I went to my follow up appointment with the PA who had done the original slicing and draining. She hemmed and hawed and told me it looked good, nothing was coming out of it, and she put the antibiotic medicine on it and told me to call if I had any trouble. I followed these instructions, and all seemed well.

A few days later, the lump reappeared. Whatever. I was over it. I ignored it as I've done for ten years since the last first lancing. Several days after that, the cyst drained again in the shower only later in the evening, I had a low-grade fever. 

Back I went to the doctor. The whole office remembered me.

Dr. M: "Ah, I remember this thing. We drained it, and then I had to drain it again. It's a pesky thing."

He made some joke about everyone putting on protective goggles, and then he poked and pushed and out came blood and pus. Pus is bad. So, back I went on the antibiotics, and I will need surgery.

The surgery I wanted in the first damn place.

Dr. M. drew me a picture of what he would do. I wanted to tell him not to waste his artistic talents as this isn't my first cyst surgery rodeo, but I let him draw. 

Dr. M.: "One of the downsides to surgery is that more cysts can grow on either end of the sutures."

Me: "I don't expect that. You're a better surgeon than that, aren't you? Bone up and do the damn job right."

Dr. M: "You can keep my drawing." 

Then, since I was there and paying a co-pay, I showed him a spot that had suddenly appeared on my leg. He wanted to know how long it had been there. I said about two weeks. He got his eye scope and bent down and studied it and studied it.

Him: "You have the oddest things."

Me: "That's what my mother always said."

Him: "I have no idea what it is."

Me: "I thought it might be ringworm."

Him: "Ringworm. Hmmm...it could be ringworm. Do you have a cat?"

Me: "No, but I have a dog."

Him: "I think it could be ringworm. Maybe. I like that, though."

Me: "Did you go to medical school? Because I feel like I'm doing all of the diagnosing here. You want to hire me to follow you around the rest of the day? Help you out?"

Him: "I know, right? You still want me to do the surgery?"

Me: "I'm starting to rethink it..."

The antibiotic never got called into my pharmacy. I went twice between errands and a swim meet and NOTHING. 

This morning I called the office, and without an apology, I was told it would be called "right in." Now I've gone another day with a pus infection zipping through my body. 

So, that's my health saga. I'm down, but not out.

Surgery is scheduled for next month. Maybe I'll post pictures.