6 Days till the Move & Worries (October 2010)

From October 1, 2010

Today marks six days until we need to load the moving truck.  That means we have to be done packing everything by Wednesday night and be ready to go, including sleeping out of suitcases for the night.

To work backwards from that day, all the kitchen and bathroom items need to be packed on Wednesday and that should finalize everything.  In a nutshell, the rest of the house must be completed by Tuesday night.... 4 Days.  That is a lot to do in 4 days.

My doctor is not at the hospital today, so I am being seen by his PA, Ted Price at 3:15.  The lump on my jugular vein is still there but not as easily seen as it was last night, unless you touch the vein below the swelling.  The vein itself seems slightly distended but as the doctor told me last night it just means there is pressure being applied from somewhere else (without going into any specifics).  I know this routine all too well.  Don't say anything you are not certain of, and don't say anything to frighten the patient.  I call it the runaround -- at least in my case -- because its what they are not saying to me that frightens me more.  If they could address the possible causes directly, I would be more informed and know whether it is something I need to worry about or not.

Heaven knows I've been through the medical wringer for the past twelve months.  This time I am truly out of time.  Scheduling CT scans often takes weeks and I have only a few days, and no medical provider or insurance on Whidbey Island.  Not a good way to start life in a new town.  This frightens me because I think back to my post (Message In A Bottle) and wonder how I am going to survive it all.

Ellie (far left) was a sheep in this story-time dance production in October 2009.  My painted panels are
in the background.