I… am a Cancer Survivor
I … am a cancer survivor. Even when I write it down, I have to pause to let the idea sink in. In the spectrum of life-changing events, it ranks pretty high.
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Like a Little Michelin Man
“When I first met Mr. Keating, he looked like a little Michelin Man,” my doctor remarked to the intern. Staying in the hospital that night very likely saved my life.
Continue readingDeflating the Michelin Man
Twenty four hours after the whole thing started, the doctor was explaining the procedure to remove the fluid from around my heart.
Continue readingA Bucket of Cold Water…
I suddenly felt as though a bucket of cold water had been thrown on me. So this was what heart failure felt like?
Continue readingBecoming A Medical Dummy
If one is a patient in a teaching hospital, and has an unusual condition, one can expect to be visited by classes of eager medical students.
Continue readingWhen the Alien Bursts Out
In the language of the world of cancer, I was Stage 4A on a scale that had no Stage 5 and only one more letter.
Continue readingStick a Pin In It- Deflate
How to treat cardiac tamponade – stick a pin in it. Well, okay, it’s really a needle. Which gets exceedingly close to one’s heart. Eep.
Continue readingAnterior Mediastinal Mass – Huh?
Anterior mediastinal mass? Shadowy CT scans can only show so much. Time to bite a chunk off the beastie and see what it is.
Continue readingFinal Answer Regis Philbin
Lymphoma or thymoma? Seemed rather like flipping a two-headed coin when you’ve called tails.
Continue readingWhen Harvest Time Arrives
Mom always told me that if I ate things without washing them that vegetables would start to grow in my stomach. But a cauliflower??
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