Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Good News, Bad News

First the bad news. Yesterday I woke in the recovery room after two hours of general anesthesia and Donald Trump was still president-elect. I had hoped four years had past

Last week in consultation with a specialist I was advised to immediately have a biopsy on my pancreas. It’s the only one I’ve got and we’ve grown close over time. Those two words¸ biopsy and pancreas in the same sentence can generate dread. Enough to consider (God forbid) calling dial-a-prayer. The line at the Suicide Prevention Center has been busy ever since the election.


Monday I left for the hospital driving under the influence. Not of drug or drink but with Peggy’s enormous love and spirit and her creative burst. If she were an Olympic athlete they would test her urine for Performance–Enhancing-Drugs. Life itself is her performance always enhanced and whatever drugs she carries are self-generated with the energy of Adrenalin, euphoria of endorphins and allure of pheromones. I took the spell with me to seduce whatever deities still hang out on Mt. Olympus. It is really about obsessing less with worry and dwelling more with one’s inner resources. Joy and woe both engrave the face. Might as well do our best with the sculpture.


All these affirmations helped during my 2 ½ hour wait in pre-op. I also drifted off to one of my favorite places in the world located outside of Brantome, France, http://www.moulinabbaye.com/en/
A small inn and restaurant with windmill, a meandering stream and willow trees.  And why not have a dish of pumpkin-peach ice cream along with wee drap of their finest aperitif to challenge my pancreas?

The procedure is called an endoscopic ultra sound. Fluid is drawn out of the larger of two cysts which has doubled in size since my last cat-Scan. And the good news is ...


Benignaccording to the doctor’s preliminary finding. He made this 
determination from the low viscosity of the fluid within. The full pathology report may take 7-10 days. A friend suggested a second opinion from another pathologist if there is any uncertainty in the final diagnosis. At this point I am borrowing from Donald Trump’s playbook. If I don’t like the result the election is rigged; if I do the buck stops here.

In the baseball game of life I stepped to the plate over 83 years ago and 
I’m still running out a home run rounding 3rd base on my way home. It looks to be up-hill from here and that can take years.

2 comments:

  1. Norm, only you could write about this situation with humor. I hope you are feeling well
    I'm in the emergency room with my 92 yr old friend, Betty
    They are trying to figure out the cause of her nausea. I hope she makes out as well as you did
    XO

    ReplyDelete
  2. There's nothing so mysterious as the human body...hatching plots to overthrow the order and mending at the same time. I hope your friend, Betty, puts down the coup.

    ReplyDelete