Monday, April 1, 2019

Pain in the neck

You may recall I went to an urgent care facility in February to see about an infection raging in my throat, sinuses and ears. I took the prescribed antibiotics and waited for an improvement. It never really came.

So I returned today to see if there was something else that could be done. A different nurse practitioner checked me over this time. She thought the problem might be my thyroid. Specifically, a goiter. Hmmm, okay, that area of my neck is tender. So she set me up for lab work and an ultrasound on Wednesday. I went to the Mayo Clinic website to read up on thyroid problems.

At one end of the spectrum is a minor issue that can be corrected with medication. At the other is cancer, with surgery, maybe chemotherapy, maybe radiation. I, of course, am hoping it’s something on the easy side of the scale.

So, instead of just a quick stop in Yuma before heading elsewhere, I’m stuck here until Wednesday afternoon.

It’s 88°F/31°C in the van right now. The doors and windows are open. It’s tolerable, but it’ll make the wait less pleasant.

And thank you, Medicare. Everyone should have it.

6 comments:

  1. Barney, The Old Fat ManApril 1, 2019 at 7:03 PM

    Good luck on finding out what the trouble is. Treatments work a lot better when they are for the correct trouble. I can personally guarantee that statement.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShadowmossApril 1, 2019 at 7:35 PM

    I am one who takes the thyroid medicine. My nodule causes some issues with swallowing, but no one wants to operate. I go one Medicare in December so I'll try again then. Mom had her thyroid removed 20 years ago and has been on the same medicine since then. It is generic and cheap. Hope that if you have issues it is easily corrected.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MichaelApril 2, 2019 at 11:12 AM

    The air in Yuma can be hard on throat and lungs. I'm in Yuma also if you need a hand. Good luck

    ReplyDelete
  4. ZmanApril 2, 2019 at 6:53 PM

    As a pre teen I did not grow;my wise mother notice I was slow, lethargic and my skin was dry. She took me to a endocrinologist and he did tests and found out that my thyroid gland was non functioning and put me on medication. I grew from a 4foot 7 and 3/4 inches into a 5'11" young man. My brother a RN said If my mother hadn't took me during my puberty age I wouldn't have dodge a medical bullet!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Al ChristensenApril 2, 2019 at 11:32 PM

    I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, but I've been reading some more on the medical sites, and looking at anatomy diagrams, and I don't think I have a thyroid problem. I think it's swollen lymph nodes. The symptoms fit better and the swelling and tenderness is more under my chin that around my larynx. I'll do the tests and if I'm wrong, then at least we know what's up. But if my thyroid checks out fine I'm going to lobby for the lymph nodes, which means infection, which is what this has felt like all along.

    ReplyDelete
  6. John SpodenApril 3, 2019 at 3:05 PM

    Good call Al, also spot on Barney.
    Practioner's rarely become perfectionists, except on TV. Doctor's
    on TV are X drywallers, telemarketers,
    and refugees from other soul sucking
    crap jobs.

    ReplyDelete

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