A Field Report . . .

The Book Project

I'm definitely on a roll where books are concerned.  If I keep up like this I will make my entire year's goal by the end of May  :-D

The book I picked up after I finished the Larry Cole series was Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter, by Adeline Yen Mah.  Difficult to read but compelling - I blasted through it in a couple of days and then returned it to The Little Free Library, where I had picked it up.  Next up is a book that I had started in 2017.  I was close to halfway through, but it's not a long book and I decided to start over.  It's Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning.  It's an important book.  Not easy to read, but I'm not putting it down.  After these two, I think I will pick up something light-hearted on my Kindle app.  There is at least one there that I started but haven't finished!

In addition, I've been wanting to actually read Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy for some years.  I've started it multiple times and never gotten very far.  I hurried through the first two weeks of entries and caught up last night.  I pulled my gratitude journal out and am giving it a go.  And with a friend I'm also working through her The Simple Abundance Companion: Following Your Authentic Path to Something More.  This will take a year - it's structured with 12 chapters, one to work through each month.

My Kidney and other Stuff . . . 

So, I went for my follow up with the urologist this week regarding my pre-Christmas stone.  The results of my most recent CT were excellent.  All clear!  Yay!  And I'm working with my Kidney Stone Prevention Coach.  Yay!  WW is going really well!  Yay!  I figured I was going to get a pat on the back and get told to come back in six months.

I certainly did not go in expecting what I heard.

Not at all . . .

It's not really bad news - just startling.  Really, in the grand scheme of things, it all could have been a lot worse.

The urologist told me - in no uncertain terms - that I need to see a nephrologist - that I'm a very unusual case.  I have made three stones of two different types in less than two years.  That's not OK.  He said I need a team.  My urologist is a surgeon and he said for your average stone former, it's not a problem - he works with them all the time.  But I'm not average, and not your run of the mill stoner, so to speak.  I need a team to figure out what's going on and why, and who can craft a strong, personalized plan of attack so that I never make any more of these.

I will say that he referred me to the very best and that can only be good.  I'm going across town to the University of Chicago Hospitals where I will be seeing Dr. Fredric Coe.  I've mentioned him a couple of times here on the blog.  He is (and I'm not kidding) the foremost expert in the country (probably the world) on kidney stone prevention.  There is an entire section of the University of Chicago website devoted exclusively to his work.  Jill, my coach works with him.

He's really quite famous in the world of kidney stones.  I'm actually pretty excited to see him, because if anyone can help me with this, he can.  I've even asked him a few questions on his website and he's answered me!  Now I just need to get through to his office to get an appointment set up.  So far they are not returning my call.  But they will, I'm sure.  My urologist also told me that my current BMI is a huge risk factor for making more stones.  Well, I already figured that out on my own, which is why I went back to WW on 13 Dec 2018.  When I told him how much I was down all he said was, "keep going."   Alrighty then.  I am.

Then, as I was getting ready to leave, the urologist poked his head back in and said, "Oh - there's a spot on your lung.   I talked to your primary care doc, he's going to call you about it.  Don't worry about it."  And he was out the door.

What the hell?!   A spot on my lung?!

What the hell???  No, What the Fuck????

Let me reassure you - it's probably nothing, but man, he could have handled that better.  Apparently it was seen on a CT scan I had in June 2017 where it was exactly the same size it is now.  That means that, whatever it is, it's not growing.  No one has ever mentioned it until this most recent CT.  The written report from back then in 2017 doesn't even mention it, but the radiologist compared the latest one with that old one and saw the exact same spot, still the exact same size, so I'm guessing it's not all that important.  After a consultation with my primary care doc, the upshot is that I have to go this July and have a CT of my chest so they can really look at everything and know for sure.  But my primary care doc says not to worry.  So I'm not.  Well, I worried for a day.  Now I'm not worried.  you shouldn't worry either  :-)

WW

This is a long Field Report.  :-D  I forgot to check in last week.  I was down 0.4, and today I was down another 3.0 for a total so far of 15.4 down.  So, there is a pattern emerging, a larger loss one week followed by a small one the next.  I'm cool with that.  :-)

This goofy song has been in my head for a few days.  A little blast from the 80s.



Comments

Michelle said…
I'm so glad your team is growing by one such illustrious member, AND that the docs are planning to take a better look at that spot on your lung, just to know. Three cheers on the weight loss, too!
Judy Whitehead said…
Ups and downs! Glad to hear you're working with more team members to figure the cause of your stones.

And YIPPEE on the weight loss! I'm cheering you on!

As to the lung, I've got a cloudy section in one lung. It's not very big, hasn't grown any in years, and after looking at it the doc said they'll watch it but not to worry. I'm asthmatic with allergies, don't know if that's a contributing factor or not. So here's to hoping it's nothing to worry about!

Retired Knitter said…
Well, hello! Just discovered your blog and your title drew me in. Knit and Run - AND then you mentioned WW in your post. And I thought - I think we have a few things in common. Of course, I am not a runner but I am working my way back to walking again after knee surgery - and I have a niece to lives in "Chicago Land" - and I do LOVE to knit - and have been part of WW since July 2018. So ... hello and happy to make your acquaintance. I'll be stopping back around for sure.
candy said…
Hoping for good news regarding the spot. Stay well!
A :-) said…
Michelle - thank you. I'm actually excited to meet with him - I'm working on a timeline this weekend to recap the entire journey for him.

Judy - I also have asthma. I'm sure this is nothing, but I have a great PC Doc - I already have the order in hand to set up the scan for July.

Retired Knitter - Welcome! I'm so glad you stopped by and I hope you will keep coming back :-) I'm not a runner either - but I do walk as much as I can. Sounds like we do have some things in common :-) I hope you will be up walking well very soon!

Candy - Thank you. I know it's fine :-)

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