09/10/10: YAY!

Well before I tell you the yay news, I gotta tell the story.

So, to get you on the same page so that you know what story this is, I went to see my surgeon today regarding my incision wound.  So this is about that.

For starters, wouldn't you know it...but the wound looks better today than it has for a couple of weeks.  NOTHING at all like it did on Weds, Weds being the day I decided I really did need to go in and see someone again about this.

On the way to work via the appt with the surgeon, I showed it to my hubby.  And we both agreed that while this thing didn't look worrisome this morning, the fact that there is anything at all there after five months is enough to worry about.

So I get there.  And I sit and I sit and I sit.  And then I sit some more.  And then I sat some more.  (like the tense change?)  I then I sat even longer.

At some point in all that sitting, I did get called back for my weight and blood pressure check.  Weight was down two pounds even though according to my own tracking it's only down one AND I was wearing much heavier clothes today than I did last time I was there (jeans, blouse, heavier bulkier shoes today as opposed to shorts, tank top and flip flops last time).  And blood pressure is holding steady at "very low".

Yay me!

Whatever.

Anywho...after all that sitting and waiting I notice all these people come out with their pre-op folders in hand.  So class is over.  And then my surgeon comes out and heads for a break.  A few people had a few questions for him so they sat and waited.  He comes out from the break and answers the individual questions one by one.

And then finally, the waiting room is back to those of us that had been waiting for him since 9:15.  I was the first 9:15 to arrive...

But one guy goes back.  I'm assuming it was a post-op follow up because he went to the office side of things.  He was done quick.

And then another lady goes back.  I'm assuming same thing.

And then she leaves.

And then surgeon comes out.  And as he is walking by me, he sits down and whispers "how much is it so far?"  I said "55 pounds".  And he said "no, that's it?  You look amazing!  You are doing incredibly well!"

So I tell him about my unfill last month and how much I learned about me, my band, and me and my band with that process.  And he just beamed.  He said, "wow, I'm impressed that you've learned all this that fast.  Most people struggle with this for about a year."

And he wanders off.

And then the nurse comes for me.  And she takes me back and my RNP that I like so much meets me and walks in the room with me.

Now, she's the RNP that's seen this thing at it's worst, insofar as practitioners with this practice are concerned.  And so seeing it today, she'd know that it's better.  Much better.  That the concern, today, is that it exists at all.  I've been impressed with her when we've talked on the phone or in the hallways because she always has known my history without looking at my chart.  And then she'll go get my chart to make sure she's right.  She, like me, does not like what the other RNP told me last month.

So I show her this thing today.  And she says "you are definitely keeping it clean and healthy".  "But you are also definitely right, it should not be there."

So we talk briefly about how it's impacting my life and my decisions.  Swimming, exercise, baths, even whether I'm willing to use bubble bath or not.  And then my surgeon comes in.

I show it to him.

"It's fine".





GRRRRR.

"Really?", I say, "Even after five months?"

"Oh.  No.  That's not ok."

So he asks for a needle.  And my RNP goes to get the biggest thickest thing she can find.  And he has me lie down.  And he says:

"It's probably an inclusion cyst".

YAY ME!

It's something.  It's real!  At this...I'm excited.  No more "you must be diabetic because otherwise you'd have healed by now".  No more "it's you, it's not us, and it's not a fluke".  (RNP last month)

He goes on to explain to me what an inclusion cyst is.  In my case, a piece of the epithelial probably got caught in the interior sutures.  And that epithelial is not supposed to be there so everything is responding with irritation and aggravation.

Looking at it today, there's a chance it might actually be healing itself.  Although, historically, over the last five months, every time it looks like it's about to heal, it doesn't.  Something causes it to reopen or re-aggravate again.

So...if it's still there next month, he'll cut it out.  It's small enough that I won't be left with a bad scar, he thinks.  He actually said he thinks he can cut it out with no scar at all but I think there's bound to be something...

I did have to pin him down on the timeline, though.  He said, initially, if it's still there, we'll cut it out.

Ok, doc, give me a time frame.  When does worrisome start?  Are we saying six months?  Are we saying next week?  What?

That was when he said, lets go with next month.

He told me I can get back to my swimming and that I can get back to working my abs as hard as I like.  He told me to keep doing what I'm doing to keep it clean and healthy but other than that, don't let it interfere.

But yay me!

I LIKED my surgeon today!  I liked him A LOT!  We had great conversation.  I was able to say this is how I'm doing and this is how I'm doing it.  And he listened and he respected.  We talked about this, we talked about the nutso RNP last month who tried to put this on me and my purported ill-health.  We said nice things to the RNP I like who was there with us and who was the one that raised the flag back in July.  It was all good.

I left there feeling listened to and not diminished in any way, shape, or form.  I also left there feeling like this thing on my belly...it's days are numbered!  WE will beat this some way or another!

So, YAY!!!

As for Twilight...Man...Book four is so hard to put down!  I love this book the best.  I have 300 pages left and I figure that'll be knocked out tonight...since I knocked out 200 last night...and I actually had to go to sleep last night.

And yes, Harry Potter is way better!

I've been talking to colleague/friends about these books and yesterday they dumped on me that I have to read this and this and that and that and this and then that.  So they have my reading schedule penciled in for who knows how long.  What I need to know is if they are lending me these things or if I have to go acquire them myself.  Either way, their recommendations are being taken because we think the same things about Twilight, about Harry Potter, and about many other books we've discussed.  Seems we are getting our own little book club going at work!

So that's what I know.

I feel so YAY!

Funny, huh?  Yay.  I have a cyst.  Logic tells me this isn't necessarily a YAY thing.  I mean, it's not bad.  But it's not YAY, either.  It just is.  I think the YAY, though, is more for being heard, for being adamant that I'm not ok with this...and being heard.  I feel like they are on my side, now.  I also know, now to make sure I don't see that nutso RNP in the future.  I've not liked her anytime I've dealt with her.  So stop dealing with her, I say.  If I had listened to her back in the beginning, I would have walked away from the insurance requirements at month two and called myself a loser because 1) I didn't have sleep apnea, 2) I didn't have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, and 3) I couldn't be self-pay.  She swore up and down I was wasting my time and theirs...

Yeah, I think when I go back in the future...I will make sure I do not see her...

But other than that....

YAY!!!