I realize I am not the only bringer of bad news in the forum in as many days, but considering my own PM box of messages wondering where I've been as of late, I wanted to bring everyone up to speed with my ongoing encounters with the health care community.
About a week ago, I found myself dropping to the kitchen floor, which created a loud thud and a good deal of surprise on my part as I found myself unceremoniously leaning against a cabinet. Since around Memorial Day, my blood sugar level has been dropping and it reached the point where I've been diagnosed hypoglycemic (we're talking numbers almost as low as Bush approval ratings). In my ongoing quest to never go with the crowds, I have suffered from a decline in mood and energy which becomes the worst during the summer months. This atypical style of depressed energy and plentiful sighing occurs exactly opposite to what most people experience - winter doldrums when the days are short and the sun is on a milk carton under the headline "Missing." I've dealt with it during the mid-summer for at least a decade now.
My choices have been: Dr. Phil "Get Over It", to bounce through life with the sad little cartoon bubble and take Brightenmoodynol, or wander aimlessly on a beach with my head down as the sun goes down until I pop Nosuicidenol XL and then I can smile and laugh with my ethnically diverse group of actor friends while we plant pretty flowers on sunny days, or for those who have heard the sad stories of Watusi Jenkins in the Anything Goes thread of random funny bits, I could always get my "head shocked."
But now it turns out that the pretty teeny tiny pills with the whopping big co-pays aren't necessarily for me when it appears the problem may be physical first and emotional second.
Anyway, as I am being poked and prodded, I have been out of my element, which is to say not on here. But I'm not really going anywhere - I am just being renovated, or so they tell me.
Unfortunately, I spoke in the plural in referencing my involvement with the health care community. For those unaware, my mother is suffering from stage IV tongue cancer which we are fighting back against with the help of the good people at the Roswell Cancer Institute in Buffalo (a group I highly recommend). This has put considerable strain on my family and myself. I have also learned today that my father's colonoscopy has turned up a suspicious lesion on his colon which could be cancerous. The timing of this could not be worse, of course. However, as this was uncovered during a routine colonoscopy (something highly recommended for those nearing age 50 - catch things early before they become a major issue), we are hopeful.
I appreciate folks noticing my reduced presence here, but want to keep everyone informed that it is not due to a lack of interest or involvement.
