CUT ME UP

Increasingly in the last few years, more and more of my procedures have been done under local anaesthetic. It makes for a simpler day. You go into hospital fifteen minutes before your scheduled time. You are admitted in record time and sometimes ( like last week) you don't even have to wear a theatre gown. After the procedure, you get a nice coffee and biscuit and you get to drive yourself home. Simple? Sometimes.

On the agenda for this day was removal of a suspected lipoma ( fat tumour) in my right wrist and removal of a hard " something" on my scalp. I wanted them taken out quickly because I had an ear infection, was already feeling rotten and wanted to be back in my bed ASAP. Ear infections frequently torment me. The day before I had woken to throbbing ears, inflamed red knuckles and a red rash on my neck. A pharmacist later confirmed an allergy to the antibiotics being used to treat my ears. Not wanting to put myself through the rigmarole of an appointment with another GP, I thought I would suffer in silence for the next four days, till I could see my own GP.

So there I sat miserable as sin waiting to be called into theatre. 

" The nurses and I have decided that frequent fliers ( ie you) need to bring us cake from now on" said my plastic surgeon as I entered theatre. 

"Not a problem" I said. "one dozen Westcoast Eagles cupcakes coming up". 

He laughed because I know he is an avid fan of an opposing team.

"What's growing on my head?" I asked.

" With you, who knows?", he replied.

And so it began with the local anaesthetic in my wrist which hurt a bit and the local anaesthetic in my scalp which hurt a lot. Maybe it hurt more because my ears were already in pain. Who knows? I held back the tears and grit my teeth, but man it hurt. What finished me off was the sound of the scissors cutting through my scalp. I lay there thoroughly miserable and fully aware that my doctor was currently cutting out a bit of my scalp and sewing it up. I felt no pain but I could hear everything and it wasn't fun.

"Next time I'll have a general thanks", I said. 

No reply.

The rest of the day I felt like I had been run over by a truck. I was dizzy ( probably from my ears) and in pain on my head. The wrist was fine. 

A couple of days later my husband and I returned to Geraldton. Head and wrist pain were all gone but what was with the dizzies coming and going? I could hardly stand without losing my balance and if I was standing and feeling fine, in a split second this could change. My husband found this out the hard way when we stopped for food and drink and he had to catch me before I toppled over at the counter. This had to be more than just ears.

My GP changed my antibiotics and sent me off to have a multitude of blood tests and an ultrasound on my adrenal gland area. The guy doing my ultrasound said that adrenals are rarely seen in adults. I'm not sure what I was supposed to say to that. I am in the hands of my doctor. " If she wants an ultrasound of my adrenals he can bloody well find them", I thought.

Pathology tests are in - lipoma in wrist and cyst on scalp.

Blood tests are in - all good except calcium very low. That can make you dizzy if it's low. BINGO.

Ultrasound results not in - sonographer last seen hunting for adrenal glands.

                       

Fun and games

Till next time...xxx