Been Busy.......

I know I haven't written for quite while, but I think my inner muse has been sleeping.....or maybe there's just been too much happening lately to sit down and quiet my mind enough to write. I read a news story on Yahoo yesterday that not only turns my stomach, but also enrages me! It was about a 14 yr old girl with cerebral palsy who was starved to death and only weighed 42 lbs when she died at home in her own filth. You can read the story here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080801/ap_on_re_us/starvation_death_charges;_ylt=Ant2npDNZAZaQBdxoBA2XGes0NUE
I think the authorities are doing the right thing by charging all these people and I really hope some good comes of this. The DHS in that town needs a complete overhaul, along with other city offices, and I hope they get it. I'm glad she's in a better place now.
I can't believe it's August already and kids everywhere will be starting back to school. I'm thankful I don't have to deal with that yet. Michael has gotten his two bottom teeth and is working on his uppers. He's sitting in a walker now and kicking his feet to move him around. He just gets sweeter all the time. I can't wait for Hayden's arrival in October!
I went to a neck and head doctor yesterday. I noticed a swelling on my neck near my jawline and thought it was a lymph node....and it still may be...he never really said. Anyway, they did an FNA (fine needle aspiration) of it and it was not the results he was expecting. The doc said if he was a betting man, he would bet on a Warthin's tumor, which is benign. Apparently smokers are 8x more likely to get this type of tumor, which attaches itself to the tail end of the parotid gland. The only treatment for it is surgery to remove the gland. The problem was that the preliminary pathology report did not match up with what he expected to see for that type of tumor. He then sent me for a CT scan of my neck and said my parotid gland would most likely have to come out. Anyway, I'm not letting it stress me until he calls Monday with my completed results and gives me some sort of diagnosis and a game plan. Damn my neck is still sore though. They used a very fine needle (looked like about 25 ga.) and they took five samples and boy it hurt! I must say though, Vanderbilt definitely takes care of it's own. Most people wait a month to see this guy, but they got me in the very next day, did the FNA immediately, and there was no waiting for the CT scan. The whole thing, from the time I signed in at the doctors office, to the time I left radiology took less than 3 hours. I was quite impressed.
Our new Cancer Clinic will be opening September 8th. We will be moving everything on Friday the 5th. I am dreading this move, but looking forward to our new clinic. I'm still enjoying what I do and love working with Victoria and Jennifer. They have been my voice of reason these last few days. One of my favorite patients has finished her chemo and will be having surgery in a few weeks. I love her spunkiness! She is a mother in her 30's with a 6 month old and a 3 year old. If we had met under different circumstances, we would most likely have become close friends. I'm really gonna miss seeing her every week, but I'm happy for her. That makes 3 patients I have lost because they are now cancer free............