so the doctor called

she called this morning and said: "you have atypical cells. there's no mention of cancer, BUT, i'd like to have a surgeon look at the film and reports and then decide the best course of action. it could be another biopsy or just a followup in a couple of months. are you good with that?" of course, after i started breathing again, i said sure, i'm good with that! i called the MITM (using the 1 cellphone number that seems to be working) out in birdland (aka oregon) completely forgetting that even though he's not working, he was going to be on a tri-continental conference call, so the owner of the phone, who isn't one of our sons, had to go over to his room and slip him a note asking him to call me. (do i not write the absolute longest sentences ever?) poor vee (best friend to cap'n chaos), he knew why i was calling and tried so hard not to ask, but i could hear his relief when i said, just ask him to call me. anyway, instead of trying to explain atypical cells, i've done a cut and paste from the mayo clinic site regarding atypical cells:

Do atypical cells usually mean cancer?

Answer
from Timothy Moynihan, M.D.

Atypical cells appear abnormal, but they aren't necessarily cancerous. Many factors can make normal cells appear atypical, including inflammation and infection. Even normal aging can make cells appear abnormal.

Atypical cells can revert to normal if the underlying cause is removed or resolved. In some cases this happens spontaneously. In other cases, it's the result of a specific treatment.

Although atypical cells don't necessarily mean cancer, it's important to remember that some cancers first appear as atypical cells. If your doctor identifies atypical cells, close follow-up is essential. In some cases, the doctor may simply monitor the atypical cells to make sure they don't become more abnormal. In other cases, the doctor may recommend a particular treatment to try to reverse the process that's causing the atypical cells. And sometimes, the doctor may need to obtain a larger sample of tissue — such as a biopsy — to make sure cancer or another more serious condition isn't present.

this is a good thing. doc will send the films off to the surgeon. i will meet the MITM on saturday out in cali and when we get home, we'll see what's next.

for all of you who've taken time to leave words of support, my family and i want to say thank you. this community we've become part of has become as dear to us as the friends who gather around our table. i cherish each and everyone of you and hold you close always! you are my friends.

The West Wing" (1999)

Leo McGarry: This guy's walkin' down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey you! Can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole; can you help me out?" The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey, Joe, it's me. Can ya help me out?" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are ya stupid? Now we're both down here." The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.

thank you,

alan
apprentice
b. e. earl
bock
boxer
charlie
conortje
crazy river girl
daisyfae
debra
djdannak
don
e@l
eleanor
eroswings
eryl
fat sparrow
jack sparrow
jayne
jc
jimmy
kaz
kevin musgrove
kim ayres
leah
lulu labonne
madame de farge
mago
manuel, the waiter
mark
mj
momentary madness
naomi
pat
ponita
roses
scarlet-blue
scout
shan
tc
t-shirt
the jules
the U
tony
white rabbit
xl

and z!

from me, the MITM and the coconut krewe!

~~~~~~~
pictures from the field

super nana on tv! she plays a (guess what) teacher on this episode of lincoln heights. (sorry, huhu doesn't work outside of the states!)



for all y'all outside of the states, one of my favorite pictures of super nana