450) In Which We Forget the 8th Anniversary

March 9, 2017

Thursday

So Liz, Shayna, Joan, and I are out to eat at Dogwood Cafe tonight and suddenly Liz remembers that today is the 8th Anniversary of my kidney transplant. 8 years! We all forgot.  The mark of integration of past crisis (or trauma) is integrating the event into the fabric of one's life in a way that it becomes one of the may threads that make up the tapestry of a life.

This is a good thing.  Mordechai the Miracle Kidney is now part of me.

The annual checkup with Dr. Lewis on February 28th went well for the most part: he called my kidney "a monster kidney" and he still wants me to follow up on a heart checkup that he recommended a year ago.  He wants an ultrasound on my abdomen.  And at the end of the meeting he asks me if everything is alright.

I, somewhat kiddingly say, "Yeah doc all is well.  But you know, whenever I press here (poking myself on the rim of my belly button) it hurts".  He has me back down on the able, tells me to arch my back, pokes my belly button and proclaims, "You have a belly button hernia".  "WHAT?" Liz and I say in unison. 
"Yeah" he replies.  A belly button hernia.  You need surgery. Go see Dr. Sankar; he'll do it."

The Rest of the Story:  Dr. Sankar is 8 years older than when he assisted on my transplant; still a friendly guy; and he gives me more info on the options.  We decide I will wait til after I get my heart checkup and take care of my HHT gum work.