[Magdalen] Two, two maladies for the price of one visit!

[Lynn Ronkainen]

What a day. (What a dialogue : )

Prayers continue for this journey toward identification of disease and 
healing.
Lynn

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck
 "Either Freedom for all or stop talking about Freedom at all" from a talk 
by Richard Rohr

--------------------------------------------------
From: "M J _Mike_ Logsdon" <mjl at ix.netcom.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 1:57 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: [Magdalen] Two, two maladies for the price of one visit!

> (Hello, Sally!  Giveaway over, full story begins now.)
>
> Yesterday's trip to Stanford Dermatology Clinic yielded surprising 
> results.  First, it most likely isn't Pyoderma gangrenosum, but Cutaneous 
> small-vessel vasculitis, an inflamation of the veinous system which often 
> results in ulcers very similar to Pyoderma g.  It was determined the 
> previous biopsy taken IN the wound was the wrong place, but rather should 
> have been on a fresh eruption that had yet to break the skin, which they 
> did yesterday (biopsy #1).  Holding pattern treatment?  Oh what joy! 
> (Really.)  Plain ol' vaseline with non-stick pad and bandage.  Sticking 
> gauze a thing of the past!  I went to CVS last night and bought several 
> jars of it.  Yay!
>
> But what really got their attention (attending physician + supervising 
> specialist) was (ahem) the rest of my body.  For what could be 8 years or 
> 25 years, I'm not at all sure, an "indolent" rash has existed on my 
> thighs, torso, and back (and for a while on my arms, but long since gone 
> from there, and maybe on my head under my hair and beard).  So indolent, 
> in fact, that it settled into a virtually non-noticeable state, noticeable 
> primarily during times of dry, cold weather when I'd itch like a mother, 
> and then forget about it again for weeks, months, etc.  They are pretty 
> sure the three (ONE, TWO, THREE) biopsies they took (stick, cookie cutter 
> punch, peel, sew, bandage, yay) will yield --- lymphoma of the skin.  I've 
> been scratching the hell out of my very own personal cancer.  Gawd.  I 
> even instinctively went to scratch yesterday on the way down to the lab 
> for the blood suck, only to realise at the last moment I was reaching to 
> dig precisely at the places they'd biopsied me.  Jesus.
>
> I go back in two weeks for the stitching to be removed, and discuss 
> further what results they call me about in a few days.  The friend who was 
> going to take me yesterday had a car accident just hours before she was to 
> pick me up, so Anna took me.  Same pecking order in two weeks:  friend, 
> then Anna if needed.  (My day with Anna was actually rather pleasant. 
> Time may not exactly re-create marriages, but it can heal old grievances. 
> We even talked extensively about AA and our journeys.  A far cry from 20 
> years ago when all I got was constant carping.  Oh well; carping diem.)
>
> So, I took today off from from work, claiming the need to sleep and sneak 
> quietly away from intense soreness before landing in my office chair once 
> again.  Even Ev benefitted, because I didn't have what it took to take him 
> to and from school.  Holiday for all.  (Or two, that is.)
>
> I should add that the head doc honcho was very clear when he said that the 
> vasculitis and the lymphoma are totally and completely separate things.  I 
> put the best Rebecca of Stanfordbrook Farm smile on my face and said, 
> "Great!"