Possible Diagnosis

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 64 degrees, high 69 degrees, mostly cloudy skies, windy with gusts to 30 mph

I had a doctor's appointment this morning for a checkup and to discuss what the possible diagnosis is for all the medical problems I have been having. Obviously, we had no idea what the problem is, but all kinds of things had gone through our heads. Imagine our surprise to find that the doctor is 99% sure that the problem is a rare disease that is only diagnosed about 2,000 times a year in this county. That word "diagnosed" seems to be a key, because the disease is usually only found with the kinds of testing that I have been going through, and even then it slips through the cracks.

The good news is that there is a treatment for the disease, but not in the traditional sense that most heart ailments are treated. That's assuming that the progress of the disease has not gone too far for treatment. The doctor still has a couple more tests he wants to do to confirm the diagnosis, which he is scheduling for me. I'm hopeful that treatment can begin within the next two weeks. At that time, my care will be transferred to the Cardiac Unit at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB). I don't know how long treatment will last, or what denotes success or failure. I do know that I'm ready to move forward in a positive direction, and I feel positive about what I know at this time.

The doctor cautioned me about not eating enough, which I already knew was a concern. When we finished with him, it was lunch time, so I suggested we try some fish. I tried the baked tilapia, cole slaw, rice, and fried okra. The rice was bad, and I ate about half the cole slaw before it started tasting bad. On the other hand, the fried okra was good, and the baked tilapia was excellent. Very mild, flaky, and cooked perfectly. My drink to start with was lemonade, but it tasted so bad that I couldn't drink it. The taste had nothing to do with the restaurant, but was my faulty taste buds acting up. So, I got some unsweetened tea, and that hit the spot.

Carolyn got her usual fried shrimp, and she said her food was also good. She shared one of her shrimp with me, and it wasn't bad.

The lunch was the most I had eaten at one time in several days, and I felt good afterward. When we got home, I had an ice cream bar for dessert. Hopefully, I can keep building on the success of today.

One question we have is what impact this diagnosis, if it holds up, will have on our RVing lifestyle. I don't think we can answer the question until the rest of the tests are performed and we get into the treatment. In the best-case scenario, treatment works as anticipated, and everything returns to normal. In the worst-case scenario, treatment doesn't work, or not nearly as well as expected, with little impact on my symptoms. I think it's easy to figure out the scenario we would like to see.

Realistically, planning for the worse and hoping for the best, we may not be able to get out with the RV for several more months. My health is the number one concern for us at this time, so we will do whatever the doctors want.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - San Francisco, California: San Fran

Not all who wander are lost.