Thank God For Covid and Cancer

I am moving forward with this prostate shit.

It's been hanging over my head for, I don't know, a year and a half? Two years?

Technically I have prostate cancer. Seven cancerous spots that they have identified. But they are at a level 6. Level 6 is relatively harmless. Level 7 is when you go into Defcon1 mode.

It started with a consistently elevated PSA level at the regular checkups.  Eventually I had a biopsy done in the doc's office. I was awake for that. That was a lot of fun. That was when he discovered 3 cancerous spots.

Next I had a big deal biopsy done in the hospital under anesthesia. He discovered 4 more spots.

Both of those biopsies are random things. The doc goes in there and hops around the prostate taking randon samples. No road map.

Next step was an MRI. That gave Dr. Feelgood loads of information. He was very excited. Now he had a road map. That happened around January or Feb of this year.

All this stuff was happening at 3 to 6 month intervals. At every step he gave me the level 6 versus level 7 talk and said I didn't have to do anything if I didn't want to, although I got the impression that he felt I should do something. I procrastinated.

Had another checkup a couple of weeks ago and I decided to deal with it. It's going to get worse anyway and I am probably better off dealing with it at the age of 66 versus the age of 73.

On November 10 he will be doing a Fusion Biopsy, under anesthesia in the hospital. He will be using the MRI results as a roadmap to target very specific areas that look funky so he can accurately determine the risk level.

See why he was so excited?

Afterwards we will decide on a course of action.

Here's the really good stuff. Remember now, I only work on Wednesdays (half day), Thursdays and Fridays.

In The Age of Covid I have to get tested. On November 5th. Then I have to self-quarantine until 11/10. That means I cannot go to work on 11/05 or 11/06. 11/11 is Veterans Day - no work.

In summation, I got out of work last Friday, 10/30. Between that day and 11/11 I will only have to work 1/2 day. That day is this coming Wednesday. And I still get paid for my regular hours. Isn't America a blessed paradise?

Obviously it is a damning commentary when a surgical procedure and the threat of Covid are reasons to celebrate.

But life gets twisted and distorted, baby - at a certain stage cynical happiness feels like a winning lottery ticket.