Thursday, August 7, 2008

Big C Update

Now that the PET Scan is once again scheduled (three weeks later -- and that's WITH the request for an "expedited" appeal with DieSuckah Health Insurance), I'm very eager to have it done, and have it over and done with! I'm hopeful it shows the source of some troubling joint pain, as well as some new pains. So the plan is, have the scan, analyze the scan, plan and schedule any further radiation, if warranted, and then *schedule the Stem Cell Transplant.

Sounds simple, you say? Are you volunteering to do it for me?

Hoodie Bill offered the very good suggestion that I look into hypnosis for one of the procedures I find very, very troubling. I think the best of all worlds is complementary medicine used in conjunction with traditional therapies. In other words, let's do the hypnosis, and let's have a boatload of Valium and my best friend, Mr. Morphine Pump, ready to be administered at the first whimper, just in case.

I also remembered that I have not done any meditation tapes in a while. They really are quite helpful; there is an immediate physical effect, and a more subtle, longer-lasting emotional effect. My counselor suggested I pursue this, noting that some test I took indicated my anxiety level was at 96%.

"Well, who wouldn't be anxious?" I bristled, "I've got freakin'
cancer!"
"Yes," she replied, "But you are more anxious than 96% of other cancer patients."

Whoopsy. Hush my mouth and color me enlightened. So much for my smug jokes about being a stress carrier.

*Technically, DieSuckah has not yet approved the SCT. Yeah, I know.

1 comment:

Michelle said...

Shazam! I'm guessing she doesn't let that 4% get together in the same room... I think hypnosis and meditation and Valium are all very, very good ideas.