I'm alive!

Of course I expected to be.

I didn't really know what to expect at the dermatologist's. My initial visit and biopsy had not been very enjoyable, and I hate surprises.

While I was dreading yesterday, it was a better experience. The one thing I really hated was the lack of information about the procedure. They told me to take my blood pressure med but said nothing of the two meds that usually accompany it. They didn't say NBO after midnight. No dress code. Just a time and a place! Of course they told me I would be first if I would come in prior to seven-thirty. I did and I was still second.

The nurse I had was good. She had skill and personality. I did think it was odd that they never took any vital signs though. She was talking with me when the doctor came in and introduced himself. I introduced myself back and told him I would be participating in today's exercise. By then the nurse had inserted the needle in the side of my nose. Very slowly she released the medication and continued to deaden the area they were going to work on. Once again, I wanted to cry but didn't. The medication did make my eyes water though. The doctor grabbed a utensil and whacked off a portion of my nose. (Actually he took a scalpel and probably two minutes later had removed the suspect portion of skin.). Afterwards, he cauterized the area and had the nurse bandage it up before sending me to the waiting room to wait for lab results to make sure they had gotten all the cancer! We looked like a group of walking wounded. A cheek, a nose, a collar bone, a chin. There was no consistency! We were told it would take about thirty minutes to get the lab results and at that point either they would repeat the procedure and remove more tissue or stitch us up and send us on our way!

Regular readers know my luck at picking lines. Guess what? I got to go back three times to remove more tissue and finally on a fourth trip the doctor told me he couldn't stitch me up. The place was to broad. In fact he was considering doing a skin graft.

I told the doctor he had better get me out of there pretty quick or I was going to have to charge him for being the acting hostess in the waiting room. Even though I was second going in I think I was last or next to last leaving!

I did some quick math. There were eight of us patients (that we saw). If all the patient procedures cost the same as mine ($1200), the doctor took in $9600 for the morning. He does this four days a week and all day on Monday. If he operates (no pun intended) at maximum he should take in $57,600 per week. Not bad for part time!

I was O.K. until the local started wearing off. They gave me no antibiotic, no pain pill. It seems that my "pain area" had expanded to include my eyes! Wow!

I did find that if I alternate aspirin and Tylenol I feel better.

I took a nap and then decided to make a post office run. Actually I wanted to run across the street to a Sonic for a Sonic Blast too. I am not usually an ice cream person but yesterday I was. I asked Krl if she wanted to drive me, but she didn't feel up to it. In fact she was preparing a list of things I needed to do while I was out!

And I thought I was the one that got worked on.

By the time I returned, it had dawned on me that Krl will always be more sick than me.

One thing though, I'm through enabling! Only the strong survive!

K.O. is wanting me to drive out to his shop this morning while I feel pretty good. He wants to discuss the equipment project. We have two more opportunities to do some shows next month, if we want to make the repairs on the equipment. There are two lists. A necessary list and a want to list. He is talking to one promoter, I intend to talk with the other.

If I feel up to it later in the day, I hope to talk with one of the other players in the seasonal work program I have been putting together!

I think I will go and soak in the tub. That usually makes me feel better. I just don't know how to soak my nose without affecting my ability to breath!

Have a day! We'll do one more after this one and call it a week!

FATHER, rescue me.