WIDOWHOOD HYPOCHONDRIA

Since the death of my invincible husband, I think I am becoming a hypochondriac - "a person who is abnormally anxious about their health."

After returning from my month on the mainland helping my daughter with her apt (and my cutie patootie grandson) I returned for some rest and relaxation.  I had scheduled my mammogram prior to leaving Maui.  In my little stack of mail awaiting my return was a request to send a fecal sample through the mail.  (Those poor postal workers).  I quickly disposed of that task, having never done one before.  One concern was the HEAT ... would that affect the sample?  And I had also scheduled an appointment with my GP as my knees have on and off arthritis (runs in my family ... my Mom had both hips replaced and my Dad his knees)

On the SAME day, I got two calls from Kaiser.  I had failed both the mammogram and the stool test!  Oh geez, my worry juices started flowing.  First I called about the mammogram ... had it been compared to my last one done in Oregon?  It had NOT, so I contacted the Portland lab and got a week long reprieve.  Then another call saying it was a new “suspicious” area.  What a process the second mammogram was!  It was over an hour of taking pictures ... using smaller and smaller paddles to compress smaller and smaller areas.  I actually had bruises after.  And had to WAIT for a letter in the mail (if it was good news ... a phone call if it wasn’t)

Next, blood had been found in my stool sample.  I had been taking a LOT of aspirin and Alleve during the past five weeks as my knees were killing me.  Kate’s apt has one bathroom and it is upstairs with the bedrooms.  I slept downstairs.  OUCH.  My explanation to the nurse, who wanted to schedule me with a SURGEON to discuss my options, was not accepted.  

I met with the surgeon with good results.  He listened to my aspirin story and agreed.  Especially since I had a perfect colonoscopy six years ago.  And he said to never take the mail in test again.  As long as the colonoscopy is clear every ten years, no worries.

That afternoon I got a cryptic phone call from a nurse at Kaiser asking me to call to make an appointment as soon as possible.  When I returned the phone call, it said that was a nonworking number.  I called my doctor’s office to ask them to check into it.  PLEASE don’t let it be the mammogram call ...

Before I got a return call, I got the great news in the mail!  Turns out the mystery call was from the Kaiser dermatology department to set up my initial body check up.

WHEW!  I’m a worrier I guess but not a hypochondriac. 

Now I’m concerned about Obamacare changing the guidelines on mammograms.

Here are the USPSTF's (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force .. formed by Dept of Health) recommendations (based on the new Obamacare):

• Routine screening of average-risk women should begin at age 50, instead of age 40.
• Routine screening should end at age 74.
• Women should get screening mammograms every two years instead of every year.
• Breast self-exams have little value, based on findings from several large studies.

IF a cancer should start the day after your mammogram, it would have two whole years to grow before insurance would pay for a mammogram?  This doesn’t sound good to me.

P.S.  It's just a tiny touch of arthritis in my knees ... the bigger issue is patellafemoral stress syndrome.  Worsened by wearing flip flops without arch support.  I bought some Orthaheel flip flops and once my body adjusted to the new posture, the knees are doing great!