November 28, 2016 - Part I

Something extraordinary has happened to me.  Something crazy.  I have decided a good way to deal with it is to write about it.  I could journal it, but it seems OK to write about my journey on this blog. Here is the story.

I had been feeling bloated for a few weeks.  I noticed by stomach was rather rigid at times, and it was sore when I tried to lay on it.  It didn't really get in the way of doing anything - I still exercised, slept, worked, and played.  Life went on, but it didn't seem right.  I was finally ready to have it checked.  So, I did what anyone would do - I made an appointment with my general practitioner.

When I called, they tried to stick my with a nurse practitioner at the practice.  She is great - I had gone to her earlier in the year for a different issue.  Of course, I had to go back several times and see a specialist to get it resolved finally.  I was leery of seeing her when the receptionist said my doctor did have an available space on the Monday after Thanksgiving.  I made my appointment with a sigh of relief.

I told her it was for an annual exam, but that I was also having issues with my abdomen.  I guess Dr. Marum thought that was the resin I was there.  It was good to see her - she has always done right by me.  She is overly cautious, but she is also very smart and very thorough.  We began the appointment as normal.  I told her about my abdomen issue and she felt my tummy.  She could immediately see what I meant.  Initially, she was not going to do a pelvic exam (I was not due for a pap smear), but she was a bit concerned by what she felt.  She also decided to take a pregnancy test.  Wouldn't it be funny if I were expecting?  I certainly hadn't planned for that in my life and I wasn't acting like a pregnant person should.  I was a little scared that could be the issue, but deep down I knew it was something else.  I was right.

After the pelvic exam where she decided to take a pap smear just in case, she left the room.  Before that, we had gone over my family history and I relayed that my paternal grandmother had uterine cancer.  It was like I had forgot about her cancer until the moment I told Dr. Marum.  I started to wonder and to fear if that could be what was happening here.  She returned to the exam room and told me to immediately go down the road to the diagnostic imaging office.  She had called to schedule a full ultrasound for me.  I was a little confused - right this minute?  Yes, right now.

I had taken an early lunch from work to go to my initial exam.  Now, I was heading to another office. It looked like it was going to be a long afternoon.