A New Low

I spent a lot of time in bed trying to rest and recover my strength.  Out of boredom, I spent a lot of time on my laptop reading various posts and blogs about anything and everything.  Money was getting tight from all of the medical tests, appointments to specialists, and prescriptions.  I was tested by a neurologist, an infectious disease doctor, a chiropractor, two rheumatologists, a sports medicine doctor, several clinic doctors, and an orthopedist for my broken arm.  Then there were the trips to the physical and occupational therapists.  I had x-rays, MRIs, neurological tests, a colonoscopy, blood work, and more.  I had a thick file folder of tests.  Some of the doctors wanted to repeat tests that had already been run.  

At my annual mammography appointment, I was told that I had a vary large mass on my left breast.  The doctors were very concerned.  I would need a repeat, then an ultrasound, a needle biopsy, and then a  tissue biopsy.  I fretted about that last one.  If it is cancer, wouldn't cutting a biopsy cause it to spread?  I shared my concern with my doctor.  He said, "Honestly, cutting into it could cause it to spread."  

During the ultrasound, the young doctor numbed the area and put a needle into the darken area.  I could visually see it go into the spot on the ultrasound screen.  As soon as the needle penetrated the area, liquid swirled around the needle.  I said, "What is that?  It's liquid, a cyst!"  The doctor replied, "It's debris inside of a cyst.  No need to do a tissue biopsy."  He drew out the liquid and the large cyst collapsed.  I had no doubt in my mind that this had to be the Lyme disease that was causing this.  Arthritis doesn't cause cysts to form in your body.  

This reminded me of something else that had happened early on.  When I had visited a sports medicine doctor, I was told that I had some sort of muscle, spine, or ligament injury.  I decided on my own, to visit a chiropractor near my house.  The first thing that he did was to take some x-rays of my swollen, stiff neck.  When he got the x-rays back.  He said, "I need to show you something."  He pointed to a large dark circle about the size of a golf ball.  "I don't have any idea what that is."  He said that he would send the results to a radiologist who would read the results.  He would call me later.  I could see the concern on his face.

A few days later, I had the results:  A cyst on my spleen.