Go ahead and call me a big ol’ p–sy (pansy), but in spite of a surprisingly strong desire to experience the upcoming radiosurgery treatment awake so I can write about it on this blog, I have taken the offer from Dr. Stapleford to have the treatment under anesthesia. WAIT, HOLD THE PRESSES, I just took a phone call from Dr. Stapleford and things have changed…..again.
So here’s the deal: The radiosurgery procedure will not happen tomorrow, no matter what. Now that my doctor knows the real level of my anxiety, she won’t agree to do the procedure tomorrow without my going through a “dry run” with the shrink wrap. If we decide to utilize the anesthesia, the procedure will be delayed another week to ten days. I simply am not going to wait that much longer to get this tumor zapped. Another delay is not an option for me.
My only option to get this procedure completed this week is to go up to Emory tomorrow and be strapped into my bean bag/shrink wrap apparatus for a dry run of at least a half hour. If I can get through that, we’ll be able to have the procedure done on Thursday. Since we had already made plans to stay tomorrow night in Atlanta, we’ll only lose a few hours on Thursday. So, this is what I’ve got to do.
I had a conversation with Amie Flournoy, my pharmacist at Glenn’s Pharmacy in Phenix City. She says that Xanax reaches its peak in your system in one to two hours and Ativan takes right at two hours to reach peak concentration. We will go on to Atlanta tomorrow and I’ll take a proper dose of one of these drugs two hours before I’m hog-tied. If I can get through that, then on Thursday we’ll do the real thing.
The only good thing that will come from this is that I’ll be able to properly write my way through this. If I had been asleep I would have had to count on my imagination to tell a proper story and chances are that story would include a return of the circus train and the strippers and my mother would have to buy another bottle of White Out.
Mike, you can do this – I know you can. Hang in there, buddy, and get ‘er done!!!!
Mike, one day when you have this well behind you I will share with you my experience with Ativan during my first cancer surgery. It plays significantly into an horrendous all night battle that I fought and valiantly won against a team of nurses and attendants from St. Francis Hospital who had secretly manuevered their way into my room on the nursing unit The Medical Center. They were there to quietly whisk me away under cover of darkness to a locked room at the Bradley Center where the management team of St. Francis awaited to drain my mind of any and all meaningful strategic information.
I’m with you…no delays. Take the pills, you can do it and we’ll be waiting to hear about it. Many thoughts and prayers will travel with you.
The pipeline is a 30 inch water line to correct low water pressure in North Columbus.
It is always best to spare one’s mother any moment of embarrassment, so you are doing the right thing.
We will be traveling to Mobile on Thurs. to attend Caroline’s Christmas play to be held at Bellingrath Gardens. We will check on the computer there for news from you.
God’s Peace
Mike, YOU CAN DO IT! Let the drugs do their thing and you just don’t let anything but the circus train into your mind! We love you and pray for this to be over with by Thursday!
Mike, We understand. It is called living better with chemicals.
Hang in there and soon this too shall pass.
Prayers sent your way.
love,
Di and Johnny
Mike, I just read “Wednesday Is Fry Day” a few minutes ago.
“Jill and I were discussing it in the car this evening and I’d like to know what is going on there.”
“Ah, bagpipes. My soul stirs.”
“So, Wednesday is “Fry Day”.”
You, cousin, are a juxtaposition savant.
I’m praying for you, Mike.
Can we get he imaginary story as well. Sounds much more entertaining than he real thing. Good luck and God bless. We’re all here, rooting for you!