Re: [gardeners] Tuesday in the garden, last week

Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 06 May 2003 08:15:57 -0600 

You have no idea how much I sympathize.  Over two months ago, my husband's 
bald head grew a small volcano that gave him a pointed head.  At first I 
thought it was the Mother of all pimples, but it looked terrible, and I 
urged him to go to a dermatologist.  He just blew me off.  Would not go to 
a doctor about that for love nor money.  He does go to doctors because he 
has diabetes, and I admit he's managing it very well.  two or three times 
each week I urged him to go to any doctor about it.  He finally went, and 
was given an antibiotic.  When the pills were gone, he went 
back.  Somewhere in the two months the volcano flattened a bit and 
developed a horrible crust on it.  The doctor finally biopsied it, and it 
turns out to be squamous cell carcinoma.  So his GP sent him to a 
dermatologist to remove it "via cryosurgery."  Hah.  Dermatologist wouldn't 
touch it (I think because it's at least the size of a quarter), so now he 
has an appointment May 13 for specialized outpatient surgery in which the 
surgeon removes skin a layer at a time, examining cells to make sure she 
has all of the cancer.  I don't know how many layers he's got before he 
gets to bone, and what if that's cancerous?  Now that it doesn't look quite 
so bad, he wants to wear a band aid on it in public.  Men are the world's 
worst patients.  Penny, just don't let them give you a script for 
Oxycontin.  Addicts break into homes for that stuff.  It's as powerful as 
heroin or cocaine, apparently.  Margaret

>Margaret, I am quite convinced that the Percocet was too strong, and that
>caused Jim's hallucinations. The doctors took away the pain medicine
>altogether at that point, and left Jim with no substitute -- a nightmare
>after a fall like that!
>
>Today we took the bull by the horns and brought Jim into my own
>family doctor. He was gentle, kind, and generous of medication,
>so that now we can at least relieve the attacks which come on
>spontaneously if he turns his head or neck or backside suddenly.
>This will all take time and patience, both of which Jim seems to
>feel he has not enough of.
>
>I am about to go pour him a bowl of shredded wheat, so he will
>be able to cope with the pain meds. He's really quite like a little
>boy -- he turns to his 'mom' for help, but wants to remain
>independent. Tough position for me...!
>
>Penny