Half an Answer

It's been a busy couple of days since Monday's post. Here is a copy of what the plan was, and the results we now know (in italics):

• Today (that was Monday) Dr. Stephan sent us across the street to the Auburn Medical Center lab for some blood work. That will give him another gauge on the gall bladder issue. That lab work turned out nearly normal so at that point the gall bladder was beginning to look like it was not the issue.


• Tomorrow (that was Tuesday), again at Auburn Med, Bettie will have a HIDA scan of the gall bladder which will test its functionality. If this test proves normal, that will pretty much end that organ as a suspect in the pain mystery. If it is not normal, the bladder will be removed, probably within a week. For nearly two agonizing hours, Bettie lay on a hard table, under a camera the size of a Buick, while it took pictures of radio-active stuff trying to make its way into her gall bladder. (Not exactly the same procedure description you'll find in the medical texts.) Anyway, the HIDA scan revealed that the gall bladder is actually NOT working properly. Bettie will probably have gall bladder surgery late next week.


• Wednesday (today, at 7 a.m.) Bettie will go into surgery for a biopsy of the largest of the aforementioned knots in her tummy. This will give us an indication of just how serious an issue we are dealing with in the lymph nodes. Baring complications, she'll be home again that day. The biopsy procedure went as planned with no complications. We arrived at 7 a.m.; she went into the operation room with the "green suits" at 9 a.m.; Dr. Stephan came and gave me an update at 10 a.m.; I got to go sit with her in recovery at 11 a.m. and we left for home about noon.

So now she is back in her own bed, having just had a pretty good lunch (she had not eaten since yesterday dinner due to the procedure). She has pain pills to last the weekend and we settle down to await the results of the biopsy...the other half of the answer.

Doctor does not expect results until Friday or maybe even Monday. I had told him that I have an out-of-town event this week-end but I'll cancel at the drop of a hat if you say so. "Oh no" he says "Go ahead with your plans. If I need to I can reach you by cell phone. We won't be doing anything that soon anyway. You need the break." Since I have lots of live-in help, I sort of reluctantly have decided to go ahead with plans to sing with my chorus in a big "District Chorus Contest" in Whistler B.C. (Hope my cell doesn't ring while were on stage...I'd probably answer it!)

Of course I'll post the biopsy results as soon as I can, but that may not be until Monday. Remember that good things can come from all of this, whatever the outcome. Meanwhile, I'm still whistling.