Grabbed by a pro . . .

I didn’t have an appointment with my primary care physician so I took advantage of the walk-in policy. It turned out to be more of a sit-in. But after two hours of Field & Stream magazine I was finally summoned to the examining room:

Temperature: 97.7
Pulse rate: 72
Blood pressure: 120/74

So far so good. The nurse gave me a gown to change into. The kind that makes you look silly from the front and ridiculous from behind.

The doctor came in after another five minutes of Field & Stream. I explained my latest discovery to her – a lump in my upper left buttock region. Having been through this exercise during my first two tumor episodes, I know that doctors like to compare one side of the body against the other when assessing “masses”. She had me face away from her and go through the contortions that make the lump pop out. Weight on my left leg, left knee locked, leaning forward, right knee bent with right foot off the ground. Then she had me reverse positions: weight on right leg, right knee locked, leaning forward, left knee bent with left foot off the ground. Then she had me shift back and forth, from one side to the other as she planted her hands firmly on my hips from behind. And then it suddenly occurred to me: this wasn’t a medical examination, it was a conga line headed by Elvis. If a guitar had been within reach I would have grabbed it and launched into a rendition of All Shook Up.

After several trips around the room, she declared that there were bulges on BOTH sides. And although the one on the left was larger, that may have been because the right side had been the site of a surgical resection seven years ago. So the exam was inconclusive, but she agreed that an MRI was in order. It has been scheduled for Wednesday morning, with a follow-up dance lesson on Friday morning.

She then listened to my heart. She had difficulty hearing the “murmur” that had been so pronounced a couple of weeks ago. And there was no “crackling” sound associated with fluid in my lungs. Now this certainly does not mean that the tumor is going away, but it sure was good news and indicates that something we’re all doing is working at some level . . .