Chipping Away

I’ve had a few doctor appointments since my last post. I always think I’m going to find out something when I see them, but it’s often a visit or so later before I do.

I gave blood to the pulmonary doctor, and saw him again the next week when he put a cable camera through my nose and into my lungs (a Bronchoscopy).

Before inserting the camera, they squirt really terrible tasting Novocain into your nose and down your throat. When you numb up, there is a temptation to panic, because you feel that you can not swallow, but you really can.

I saw the dark spots in my lungs. I didn’t want to look, but I saw them. Balls of cat hair were immediately ruled out. I won’t see the  doc again until next week, but the shared tests results that are back are all negative.

That’s good, except the cause of the cough, spots on the lungs, and lack of improvement in my blood counts remains a mystery.

The prime suspect, though, is shaping up to be the daily low dose of Revlimid (chemo) I was taking. My rate of cough has dropped since I quit taking it.

My latest Project: Power Steering on the ’57 Chevy

My current project is installing power steering on the ’57. I’m nearly finished. If you know where to look, you can see the new steering box, rag joint, and just a little bit of the new steering column. It feels good to be able to chip away at a project.

Mr Koffman, I presume?

“Maybe it’s another cancer,” I offered.  “Oh, no – I’m sure it’s not,” the nurse replied.  I’ve been coughing quite a bit since about Christmas.  So much that the guys at work agreed I should change my name to Koffman.  

When I saw the doctor, my blood counts were very low.  I may have a virus or infection.  She prescribed antibiotics and a chest x-ray, and said to come back next week.  Upon returning, still coughing, I was told to get a CAT scan.  

There was a dense area on the chest x-ray the doctor wanted to learn more about, possibly a ball of cat hair that has reached critical mass (my probable diagnoses, not hers).  What ever it is, we will soon find out, I will be adding a new doctor to my list of doctor friends next week when I visit the Pulmonary Associates.

We get to do this every four or five years. This is where the spreader motor was giving us a little trouble.
Pele and Rocky pondering the snow