Change To Travel Plans

I have procrastinated writing because I just didn’t want the topic to be medical again but for continuity I must, and then hope that’s the end of the subject for a good long while.

I took my CT scan films, the CD disk of the scans, and the radiologists’ report to my gastro appointment in Colorado hoping to get a no answer on the surgery that the gastro surgeon in Mazatlan insisted I needed. First of all the gastro doctor said they didn’t have the equipment to read the films or open the disk because test results are all digital now. Then he said I needed a colonoscopy and another CT scan with a follow-up appointment with a surgeon who is the only one who can make the surgery decision. But I couldn’t get a colonoscopy appointment until the end of September. Also, the radiologist’s written report did not justify or even explain the diagnosis of complicated diverticulitis (vs simple diverticulitis). The gastro doctor, who I really liked, said they don’t rush to do surgery anymore like they did in years past and also based on my history and lack of a precise explanation on the report, it was his hunch that I probably didn’t need surgery. Based on that I decided to return to Mazatlan and get the tests here, digitize them myself, and send them back to him. But once we were home again, I changed my mind and decided I’m done with doctors until I absolutely have to see one.

There were so many conflicting medical diagnosis’s in the last year:

Last year my US eye doctor said I had early glaucoma and could begin eye drops or wait a year. I waited. This year he said I didn’t have glaucoma and ignored me when I asked about last year’s results. Then he said I needed cataract surgery and he could get me in with an eye surgeon in two weeks. Instead, I saw a different eye doctor who said I was nowhere near needing cataract surgery and that insurance wouldn’t even pay for it at this point.

Last year I was diagnosed with full blown diabetes. This. year I don’t even have pre-diabetes. My lab results were completely normal.

Last. year I had chronic kidney disease stage 3a and this year there is no evidence of it. I have no idea what is going on.

In June in the hospital my cholesterol was 160 and in Colorado one month later it was 390. Who should I believe?

I had cancelled the MSC cruise and was having second thoughts about the 18 day Princess cruise from Europe to the US. There has been a deluge of news articles about how fed up locals in parts of Spain and the Canary Islands are with over tourism. I didn’t want to add to their congestion nor to be sprayed with water in protest. I cancelled that cruise too.

Instead we are going around the world. Kind of. Actually we are taking a cruise from Singapore to California and the flight to get to Singapore travels east via Qatar……….leaving in 26 days!