Quick, The No Net Scenario, Cat
Yesterday I was bent out of shape about the lower abdominal protrusion I noticed a few days ago. I decided I would like to get a medical opinion on it so I called our local med center. During the covid time frame it often took a couple weeks to get in for less serious things. I was surprised when they said they could see me yesterday afternoon. During the day I developed an alternative theory for the bulge, a varicose vein. The bulge is on my right side which is the side with the intact varicose veins, I had the vein stripped from my left leg in my early 30’s. When they did that procedure they made a series of small incisions to pull the vein out, the top one being right in the groin. So my idea was maybe what I am seeing was a vein and not a potential hernia.
So during my exam I mentioned my vein theory. However when she put her fingers on the bulge and then had me cough she was pretty convinced that it is a hernia, awesome news. She set me up to have the area ultrasounded to confirm. Her advice for now was to not do overly strenuous activities. Sure thing, piece of cake, not. So I called the number to schedule the ultrasound, again expecting to be told they can get me in in a week or so. “We have 4PM today open” was instead the surprise response I got. I have always been the type of person that prefers to get unpleasant things over and done with so I took the appointment.
The procedure was a bit awkward as the location of the bulge required the female tech to be wanding in areas that are not seen by most people. She did it with me both laying down, when the bulge is less evident, as well as standing up. I asked her if she saw anything. She said she did but she was not allowed to give any sort of results, only the radiologist that looks at the images can do that. However her reaction sort of indicated to me that this probably is a hernia.
Hernia’s don’t fix themselves, you have two options. It can be surgically repaired or you just let it ride, hoping it does not get any worse. I should have the official results later today, based on them I will decide what path to take. The idea of having hernia surgery is looming heavy on my mind despite me not really knowing how seriously or how long I would be impacted.
As I walked around the yard last night I again found myself thinking about the no net scenario I am living. If something serious happened to me I don’t have many nearby options to help pick up the slack if I am unable to carry the load, even for a short period of time. My best option would probably be Ali and Shugs but I generally hate asking others for help, of any sort. The no net reality is the type of scenario that I prefer to not dwell on as it is what it is. I later tried to shift my thinking into a more positive direction, reminding myself that I will get by this latest setback, just like all of the others previously because that is just what I do. What other choice is there?
Let’s not end the blog with whining about my medical trials and tribulations. Here is a picture of one of the two cats that I feed daily at work. This guy(actually not sure of gender) used to stay 20 feet away from me while I was in there doing their food and water. Over time he has inched closer and closer while I refill the food bowls and replace the water. Nowadays he is right next to my hand as I am putting the food down. There is something I really cherish about winning an animals trust.
I’m working on a fun 3D project. For too long of a period of time I will just be producing parts for the 3D store, forgetting about the best part of 3D printing, just making cool stuff.
I am making a Hello Kitty model for Gladys’s little niece. It is multi-color which is achieved by printing different parts in different colors and then gluing it together. I started the assembly last night. I hope to finish it up tonight if I have time after doing some outdoor mowing.