I had an appointment middle afternoon on a Friday none the less, to get the MRI of the back and the CT of the abdomen done at Midlands Hospital. Still very unsteady on my feet, back pain and balance all messed up. Before we left I wanted to get my sunglasses out of another vehicle. As I got into the vehicle to get my glasses I fell into the door of the vehicle.
About 4:00pm my PCP called me to say the found some spots in my pancreas, spine, liver and lungs that are suspect of cancer. She was going to send a note for me to be seen early next week to see Nebraska Cancer Specialist in Papillion.
Frightening but not completely surprised. This actually explains a lot — the back pain that started to get noticeably worse back in June and July had been a warning sign I couldn’t ignore. A typical bulged disc will generally “heal” on its own within 6 to 10 weeks with rest and conservative treatment, and I was well out of that window with no signs of improvement. In fact, the pain seemed to be progressing rather than subsiding, which deep down told me something more serious might be going on. Still, hearing it confirmed is a different thing entirely — there’s something about receiving actual news that makes it feel more real and heavy, even when part of you already suspected it. I have a long weekend ahead of me to mentally digest the news, process what it means, and start thinking about what the next steps might look like. Sometimes you just need a little time and space before you can approach something like this with a clear head.
