I think the C rates are high in this area. All the traveling therapists I know say we have a high rate. Good that you are catching, hope they are all early. If you need a good Gyn-Onc, my cousin works at U of C and the group comes out to C.P. I think.

Did you get them at the same time?

Was it a bitch to heal? Like should I get it done when I have vaca time? Or can I go right out and work or hit the gym up? Do you know if it's done different at all for women and men? God I really know nothing. Damn conservative towns!!

I was back to work the next day. I used to carry a small drug book and calculator in my scrub pocket, but they still irritate it too much. It's taken a long time to heal. They say about 3 months, but I still get a little crusting around the bar on the left side. Sounds gross, but wanted to give you all the info I could. Jogging was tough for the first couple weeks because they rubbed on my t-shirt too much. I ended up putting bandaids over them when I worked out. I figured it was either that or buy a sports bra lol. As far as I know the procedure is the same for guys and gals. It was literally like 2 seconds on each side. I hurt like a mother f-er for a few seconds, but I would definitely do it again. Hell I sit through 12 hour tattoo sessions. If it was absolutely terrible there wouldn't be so many people on this site with them pierced. I thought about it for several months before I just said what the hell and did it on the spur of the moment and I don't regret it at all!

people keep telling me they are happy they did it.

It's funny that you can "smell" cancer. I'm the acoustic neuroma queen. I was told in my graduate school training that I might come across a tumor once or twice in my entire career. I tracked down a tiny one during my fellowship training right out of school and usually had eight or nine cases per year after that where I'd turn them up even before the MRI confirmed it. I think some docs just have a sixth sense about stuff like that. Of course, my neuroma/schwanoma stuff is 99.9% benign but I do see a lot of permanent hearing loss after the surgery. if they're lucky they can gamma knife them and preserve their auditory and vestibular abilities but it always depends on the size and location of the lesion. But let's not talk shop.....

Good luck with learning the guitar! In another life, I used to teach piano lessons and I swear my adult students were always far better and more committed than my youngsters who would play because their parents forced them into it. Music is not instant gratification for most people so hang with it!

I've never found an acoustic neuroma before. I did happen across an esthesioneuroblastoma about 9 months ago. It was a lack of smell that got me looking actually. My patient was in the ER saying he thought he had a sinus infection because he hadn't been able to smell or taste anything in several months. Unfortunately this thing was huge and involved his right maxillary sinus, up through the ethmoids and into the B/L frontal lobes. He's done pretty well with chemo and gamma knife so far, but his personality has changed quite a bit.

On a more fun note the guitar learning is coming slowly, but surely. I played the sax for many years as a kid so I do have some sense of rhythm at least and I can still read music. My fingertips are taking a beating now, but it's fun to get back into music again.

I read in your blog you could be heading to Denver? I wish you well with whatever you decide. I get out to Denver a couple times a year just to get some mountain air. There are some good microbrews in town there.

love your motorcycle!!