A different journey.

A different journey.

I’m used to updating this blog at the end of the year so that  you can find out what is happening or has happened in lieu of a Christmas Letter.

There is something going on right now which is of interest to some friends so I will try to update more often. This will help since I’ll not have repeat the same information.

For the past three weeks or so I’ve been experiencing a vague feeling of anxiety, lack of balance and inability to concentrate. It was time for my annual visit to the doctor so I decided to bring all of this up for discussion.  My main concern was the onset of Alzheimers which was my father’s malady. Would I have to sell my home and deal with all the “stuff” I’ve accumulate over the past 30+ years? It seems one always expands to fit the available storage space, which is exactly what I’ve done.

I was supposed to play for church last Sunday and tomorrow. I informed the music director I was not able to play so he found another to do that task. That greatly relieved my anxiety. I don’t know why I should be nervous about playing a few hymns on the electronic keyboard but that was evidently part of my angst.

When I was practicing a couple of very easy pieces I would take a measure that obviously was not up to snuff and practice that as I have learned to do from my teachers. I’d return to the same piece and it was like I was sight reading. No improvement due to my concentrated work on the difficult measures.                                                        

The doctor sent me for a blood panel after which he called and informed me that everything was normal except for low sodium.  Interesting that most people my age discover the opposite to be the case. He asked me to return the next day for another panel which showed the same thing. 

He explained to me that the pituitary gland is one that helps regulate the sodium level so there could be a problem there. Off I went on Wednesday for an MRI on that gland and my brain stem. That revealed nothing abnormal. When the nurse called with the results the next day she told me I needed to come in for a chest x-ray which, being an obedient patient, I did. She called me back that afternoon and told me the x-ray showed no change from my last one but the doctor wanted to wait for the radiologist’s interpretation wherein he found a small shadow on my left upper lung not present in the previous x-ray.

So I was referred for a CT scan which happened on Friday. I assume I’ll hear about that on Monday given the weekend activities. 

So, it’s been a medical test every day of this week. I’m used to seeing the doctor once each year making this quite a change!

I’ll post more when I know more. Thanks for reading this.