What's Up With Ichabod
Well, I had a bit of a scare recently. Every year I go in to see my Endocrinologist, Dr. Vance, because she's prescribing me controlled substances. But she also sees me because she's a good doctor, and since my oncologist was chased to Worchester by UVa, she's been the lead doctor in keeping an eye on my cancer.
So after entertaining my hypochodriac ravings about sexual disfunction, she asked me the usual slew of questions. One of them is "Have you had any headaches recently?" Well, it turns out I had. I'd been having headaches so bad I was taking pain killers for them, something I rarely do.
Dr. Vance was concerned that my brain tumor was reactivating, and an MRI was scheduled for the next Wedneseday evening at 10 pm.
As a side note, I like MRI's. Sure, they're loud as all hell, but you can eat before them, you don't have to show up an hour early, and you don't have to drink vile and disgusting fluids before hand. Much better than a CAT scan, IMHO.
Thankfully, the MRI was negative. At least, there is no activity from the brain tumor. There was a slight venous anomaly, but apparently these are very common and no cause for worry. Everyone was much relieved.
So even today, eleven years later, the spectre of cancer hangs over me. I almost forget it sometimes, even though I go into the hospital for incidental treatments every three weeks. At least until the next time I have to fill out a health insurance form. The questions about cancer keep getting worse on those forms. I suppose next time I'll have to tell them whether or not any of my 2nd cousins thrice removed have had cancer.
Even though the brain tumor was inactive, not all is well. The blood work came back with cholesterol problems. See, I'm on anabolic steroids (that's the controlled substance). They lower your HDL, the so-called good cholesterol. Not only is high LDL cholesterol bad, but a high ratio of LDL to HDL is bad. You should be 4.4 or less on that ratio, and even though my LDL is okay, my ratio is 5.6.
Nothing I can't handle, of course. Not even something I wasn't expecting, given the way I eat. But I was expecting it to wait til I was 50. So, down to two hot dogs a day, and one meat on my pizza when possible. Back to the exercise, and perhaps ramp that up some. I'm sure I'll go even farther than that, but I'm waiting until I finish the two books I bought.
Score: 131 - 82 - 3.
Last Updated 10/11/1999
Created 10/11/99