Medical
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Taking a step back
Those initial test results from the CVT came back. The good news is, there are no obstructions in my abdomen or pelvis. The less good news is that I have a partial renal artery stenosis to one kidney, which means I may eventually need a permanent stent to open that up for more blood flow.… Continue reading
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Cautious optimism
I may have found a doctor who actually gets it and knows what to do about it. Not celebrating yet, but… I went back to the vascular specialist yesterday, only to discover that the lab hadn’t forwarded the results of my CT scan yet (despite having a week to do so). Both I and the… Continue reading
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ACCESS granted…
I finally received my ACCESS identity card that will enable me to schedule rides in easily accessible vehicles to get to my doctor’s appointments, art seminars, or whatever. As the office had indicated, it took until late February to arrive, but now that I have it in hand, I can start thinking about leaving the… Continue reading
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Feeling useless…and fragile
I had kind of a meltdown yesterday and, in the wake of that, today has been a total waste in terms of any kind of accomplishment. So I’m not in the best place in this moment. There are also circumstances that are making it worse: I haven’t had a functioning furnace for several years now,… Continue reading
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Good news
Today was my appointment with the cardiologist at Northridge Hospital to receive my electrical cardiogram treatment to shock my heart from AFib back into a normal rhythm. Kirsten and I both got up, as she says, “at the crack,” and she picked me up at 7:20 for an 8:30 check-in time. We arrived with plenty… Continue reading
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Idiocy
So…as I mentioned, last Thursday I got the stent removed from my bladder. The doctor handed me a pill to take, after, and said it was an antibiotic super pill to make sure I didn’t get an infection from the procedure. I ran out of heart medication this week (had enough in my pill caddy… Continue reading
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Developments
I’m writing this after what seemed like another endless day at the doctor’s. My cardiologist and my urologist (both specialists I never thought I would own—whatever happened to my robust health?) reside in the same building, so I made my appointments adjacent so as to minimize the wash-up-get-dressed-and-drive routine. I first landed at the cardiologist’s… Continue reading
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Excessive caution?
Today I was scheduled to get a CT-scan of my abdomen and pelvis to show my doctor whether or not the kidney stone has left the building. I was scheduled at the radiology department at Northridge Hospital at 11 a.m., and my cousin Kirsten kindly came with me. Our plan for the day was to… Continue reading
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A new voice heard from
On the advice of the ever-up-on-it Kirsten, I scheduled a one-hour Zoom consult that took place yesterday with a Naturopathic doctor currently out of Texas named Dr. Melissa Gallagher. She is a lymphedema expert (Vodder-trained Certified Lymphatic Drainage Therapist) and is also knowledgeable about and able to provide advice on the foibles of lipedema. I… Continue reading
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Myopia
Myopia is the “fancy” word for nearsightedness, a condition in which close-up objects are clear, but things that are farther away appear blurry. Tonight I have been ruminating on the other, less flattering, metaphorical meaning of the word, which is “lack of imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight,” as exhibited by my current lot of doctors. Hell,… Continue reading
About Me
I started this blog to talk about a genetic, fibrotic fat-storing (some say autoimmune) condition called Lipoedema, which is something I began to experience in my 60s, although some see early onset at puberty, or post-pregnancy, or at menopause. The other “L” condition from which I suffer is Lymphedema, as a common secondary effect of the fibrosis that blocks lymphatic drainage. Despite the fact that one in 11 women suffer from lipoedema, most doctors have never heard of it, so on top of the pain and embarrassment of this extremely obvious malady, millions of us are out there being fat-shamed for a condition that isn’t contingent on diet or exercise for its growth. This blog was intended to share my reactions.
I have, however, reserved the right to discuss “other stuff” here and, increasingly, since January 20th, 2025, that is politics, because what else, after all, are we legitimately obsessed with in this age of fascism in these United States of America? So while the “theme” of this blog may be confusing, it is my blog, where I can talk about whatever I wish. You are not constrained to read the parts you don’t like. But I feel compelled to write about them.
MEdoubleLL 