Mellow Monday

After a couple busy weeks Barb and I are looking for a little more peace and quiet this week. Monday, at least, should start off nice and slow.

I did have an MRI scan of my neck on Friday. We should be able to retrieve the results today with a phone call or two. I am afraid that the MRI focused on the wrong area and I'll have to go for another one this week. I really don't think the origin of my pinched nerve is in the neck, but a bit lower between my spine and right shoulder blade.

If that is indeed the case I'll likely be back in for another MRI before the end of the week. Once we finally find the origin of the pinched nerve it's likely that I'll be off to meet yet another specialist who will recommend treatment from there.

Welcome to modern medicine, my family doctor once said to me. Everything is specialized and you bounce from one doctor to another.

I once suggested to a doctor that maybe the doctors could just talk to one another. No, that defeats the purpose of the system, I was told by one doctor. And that purpose? To get as many charges in as possible. Really that's what one doctor told me.

I used to have to visit an oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania on a semi-regular basis. My current oncologist is kind enough to save me that trip and confers with that oncologist himself. To me that makes tremendous sense since they both speak the same language and can have a lot more intelligent conversation than I would have.

But, we'll see what the MRI report says today and see where that leads me from there.

Tomorrow is grocery day and Barb's Mom is kind enough to help me out once again. I do believe that I'm finally getting some pain control by taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication with my pain pill. If I can fight off the pain from the pinched nerve I can be a little more active and being active helps fight the fatigue from the chemo.

I look forward to a day with no medicines.

Everyday I do have a simple goal of completing another short story for my planned book. I'm pulling a lot of stories from three-years of blogging, and then trying to smooth them out and extend them for a book type format.

I figure it's best to try to finish the book first and then start to query agents and publishers. Anyone can publish a book if they want to pay for it. It's called vanity printing. But I'd rather do this as a legitimate business effort. It will be tough to first find an appropriate agent or publisher who is willing to invest in someone no one heard of before.

After all this is just me talking about "Milk and Cooties" and not a Hollywood celebrity tell-all.

Have a great start to the week everyone!