A longer update.

I didn't get much sleep, as per norm. I spent a good deal of the wee morning hours on the phone with a friend of mine whom I'd been urging to go to the hospital for a while to get some pretty scary symptoms checked out. He finally took my advice, and thankfully, is mostly fine.

I slept for about 4 hours, having some VERY odd dreams in the midst of it.

Woke up to a call from the retina doc's office before 9am to reschedule my follow-up. Tried to get back to sleep for a bit, more dreams. Got up, took meds, showered, dressed, hauled ass to catch the bus.

Went to the dietitian's office, arriving at about 1pm for my 1:40pm appointment. I was taken in early, and praised for losing 16lbs since last I saw her, and for my full-point A1C drop, and, as expected, reprimanded because I have (excuse me, HAD) not tested my blood sugar for a week. I WAS, HOWEVER, HONEST ABOUT IT. I still brought my meter with me, ready to show it.

Truth is, I have been VERY depressed since my oncology appointment on Tuesday. Testing just wasn't a priority, because I have not been eating. I know. I know. Don't lecture me.I couldn't. I was mostly physically incapable of it.

So I got upstairs for my 2:15pm kidney appointment (with the new doctor) at 1:30ish. I told the woman at the front desk that I had another appointment in another building across campus at 4pm, so did she know if he was running on time, etc. She very confidently told me that I should be seen very close to on time. At 3pm, I went up and asked her nicely and quietly to check on things, and also advised her that if they wanted a urine sample, they needed to get on that RIGHT NOW because I wasn't waiting.

She came back about 10 minutes later with a cup and some wipey things. *sigh*

Before I went to the lav, I was told that I was next. When I returned (very shortly) there were 3 people missing, and then 3 more got called in. I asked again what was going on, and noted that I HAD TO LEAVE by 3:30pm. I was told I was next, and I told her she told me that a half an hour ago, which was already 45 minutes after my appointment time. She calls the girl from the back, who proceeds to mention that I am "not listed as being here" Ahem.

At this point, my patience is gone.

I raised my voice and held up the cup I'd been holding and said "You know, if I wasn't fucking here, I wouldn't be able to open this jar of piss and throw it in your fucking face. This lady registered me at 1:30pm. I saw her. I've been here, and you have seen me. You asked me my fucking name an hour ago, if I wasn't on the list then, you should have dealt with it then. Once again, jar of piss... your face... do we have an understanding?" She laughed as if I was joking. I stood up and started removing the paper towel from around the jar. She left.

The nurse (him, I like, he just wasn't around before) came out. He told me that he was working on it and asked for the name of the doc I was seeing and came back to get me into a room a few minutes later. At about 3:30, he brought me back, took my vitals and weight and told me the doc would be right in.

I hear a knock on the door, and a man with full braces and elastics walks in. I am sitting in a chair, with my right leg up on the foot far of the exam table. I am ALL attitude. He smiles, apologizes, and tells me that I should nag him because he "can just talk and talk forever" This actually set my mind at ease a little, because if he can talk, I figure he can explain things, in detail, which I need right now, and also listen. Now, when he heard about the crazy shit that happened with the 100lbs in 3 days thing... he... I think he is the first person EVER who didn't look at me like I had 12 heads, and NOT just because he read my chart beforehand (but, HE READ MY FUCKING CHART!!!!!!!!!!) He actually gave me a name of what it might be. Of course, I don't remember what it was...I plan to call about that tomorrow. Its a start. He did inform me that my kidneys are functioning at less than 50%, but he also said that as long as it doesn't get worse than it is now, I should be fine. He explained that I do have diabetic kidney disease, but I don't JUST have diabetic kidney disease, I have a...non-diabetic one too. He ordered a shit ton of bloodwork, but he gave me the papers, and told me to bring it with me to the other building, see the GI doc FIRST, and that way I'd (hopefully) only get stuck once if GI guy wanted more tests. He told me to come back in 3 months, unless something happens with the bloodwork, in which case he will call me, and (because it came up in discussion about how I keep active) told me to e-mail him if I am in any shows before I see him again, haha! (Turns out that my Awesome Aussie doctor- I think he's Australian, I hope so, because Awesome Aussie is a better nickname than Twatwaffle, is apparently the black sheep of his family. They are all artists and were awestruck when he wanted to be a doctor)

So I go to the GI doc. I am filling out the new patient paperwork when the aide comes out and asks for "MISTER LASTNAME" (I was the ONLY one in the waiting room. I thing I may have caused bleeding in her head with the daggers that shot from my eyes. I didn't say a word, I got up, she apologized, and I laughed and I said "It's not so uncommon, it's just REALLY bad timing" and I laughed, and I think she spent the next 10 minutes apologizing, and I told her "Hey, at least you didn't ask me if I am related to Dr. Lastname!"

I got put in a room, and a short time later, a very old man comes in, and starts basically telling me everything I *don't* have... all of which is misinformation because he didn't look at the paperwork I just spent all that time filling out.

He tries to convince me that I was 12 when I was diagnosed with diabetes, and therefore I do NOT have juvenile onset diabetes. FACT: I was NOT 12 years old in October of 1987, and even if I was, I am still Type I. (and also, this has nothing to do with the reason I am there which was the mass on my liver)

I have told him 4 times that I do NOT smoke, and he asks me if I have a cough from the smoking. *headdesk*

He asks if I have any questions. Finally. I said "Well, I am pretty freaked out by the liver thing..." and he says "What? Why? You should be happy about it!"

*blinkblink* What?! I was under the impression that I have cancer, and that the additional tests I have to have done for it could kill me.

He explains that... lemme find where I wrote this down... "You do not have cancer. We are not going to do a biopsy at this time because thee is absolutely no need. You need to have it re-checked regularly, and by regularly I mean every year or so. If you do 2 years in a row and there is no change, you can go to every three years. You have Focal Nudular Dysplasia. It CAN become cancer, but it is VERY rare. You don't need a follow-up appointment with me unless there is something off with the bloodwork."

Off to the blood lab, where I was the only one there, and yet still had to wait a half an hour to get poked, and then... they took 12 pretty hefty sized viles of blood. At first, the girl drawing me didn't realize that he colleague had set the viles out for her, so there were 24 of them and I nearly fainted before a needle came anywhere near me. (Oh, hi, haven't eaten much....) Finally, I am done, and head for the bus stop, with only FOOD on my mind.

I went and got some food, and then proceeded to rehearsal. (Yes, I was cast in the show I auditioned for 3 hours after being "diagnosed" with cancer.)

OH!! And during rehearsal, I had to scratch my right eye, and and and *bounce* guess what? *bounce* I could see the outline of the accompanist playing the piano with my left eye!!! *bouncebounce*

I am scheduled to see the retina doc during the first week of October. I have a few questions, and am not sure if I might be brought in earlier than that or not, but we shall see (no pun intended).