Grand Slam

Did I mention that I seem to have (been) scheduled for a grand slam of medical appointments? Once I finished radiation (still worth a "woohoo!") I realized that within the space of a month, I have an appointment with every single one of my health care practitioners -- except, ironically, my GP -- radiologist, surgeon, oncologist, gynecologist, dentist. (Okay, that's actually 5 events, not 4, but I couldn't think of a 5-event tournament.)

Thankfully, all of the visits, except for the ob/gyn, are routine follow-up visits: now that I've finally finished all of my treatments, it's time for my final round of "just checking" visits, and long-delayed dental checkup (they don't really want you having a cleaning while your immune system is suppressed -- all that scraping along the gumline disturbs bacteria which is normally harmless to a healthy person, but may cause an infection in a chemo patient).

(Warning to the guys: more icky girl-med news ahead) The gynecologist visit was for my neverending, 3-week period. She said that it sounded like I had not been ovulating during my period (gee, why ever would my body be all out of whack this year?) and so that confuses the uterus which sheds at an abnormal/continuous rate, instead of a normal/simultaneous rate. Wonderful.

This resulted in experiencing a endometrial/uterine biopsy, which the doctor described, not inaccurately, as similar to being poked in the eye. OUCH. Not having given birth, I can say this ranks right up there as one of the most painful experiences of my life... extended over 3-4 samples, one for each region of the uterus. Lovely.

Being a woman, the gyn was sympathetic when she admitted that although it is less painful if you relax during the procedure, that relaxing is virtually impossible to do while someone is poking you with a sharp stick inside your body (unlike episodes of CSI, these samples do NOT use a cotton swab). (Okay, icky girly-med details over, guy friends.)

Since she is usually very prompt with bad news, as I know from firsthand experience, I take the lack of post-biopsy contact from the doc as a good sign. I am not fond of this preview of menopause, however, since 5 years of tamoxifen (which will suppress my body's absorption of estrogen) are looming in my immediate future.

Okay, on to more pleasant topics, like books (gulped down the Swedish locked-room mystery The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in one sitting last weekend -- now I am hankering after its sequel, which is still only in hardcover, The Girl Who Played With Fire) and -- of course -- food.

The photo above is of Julee Russo's tuna & white bean salad I made the other day (basically a lemon vinaigrette with 1 cup each of chopped parsley and chopped scallions tossed in -- delicious) and the giant sea scallops are from last night's book club meeting at Cucina & Co in The MetLife Building. (Amusingly enough, there was another book club also meeting at the restaurant, which is very well priced -- especially their dinner-for-two specials -- and amenable to diners who linger over their meals.)

Although the menu described the (very reasonably priced) scallops as arriving on a bed of leeks and tomatoes, they showed up on some yummy spinach instead, so I think sauteed spinach was the veggie of the day.

Then I came home and fed my sweetie -- who was arriving from one of his evenings at wing tsun class -- with some oxtail soup from the freezer (recipe from mom) and braised tofu with pork chops (leftovers from mom, who I visited Tuesday night). When my engineer heard that the tofu was from mom that day, he immediately snarfed down the entire bowl (heh). The admiration is mutual, as my mom sent me home with a bag of homemade frozen pork dumplings for him. (You can also tell she likes him -- and that she has concluded I am better healthwise -- because she once again asked me, "So are you two getting married or what?")

Okay, time to get showered and ready to face another day of idiocy at the office. My immediate coworkers are fine, but some of the other yo-yos in my company...! I'm beginning to think that the newspapers are not exaggerating about the brain drain situation... Hmmm... better shut up while I'm still employed!