Jen Finally Gets Medical Insurance...and a trip to the Hospital

 

Don't wait to go to the doctor until you are in severe pain. Jennifer, unfortunately, had to live that one as she was waiting for her medical coverage to kick in with her new job. She has had some severe, uncomfortable pain in her right abdomen for about a month and went to the doctor as soon as her medical coverage was in force and the doctor did a CT scan and found cysts on her liver and kidneys as well as a mass on her ovaries. The cyst on her kidney was so large that it was blocking the kidney from functioning properly and the kidney was filling with liquid and in danger of dying. Luckily, they were able to go in on Saturday and put a drain into her kidney and lower the size of the mass and hopefully they can make it disappear with the use of antibiotics. They have to do a biopsy of the portion of the cyst that was removed and decide what the next course of action is on Monday. A team of OB GNs is looking at the mass on her ovaries and may have to go in and do another surgery to remove that and have it biopsied. Depending on the size of the mass, they may be able to treat that with antibiotics. In the meantime, Jennifer is stuck in the hospital waiting for the doctors to decide the next course of action.

 

Jennifer had called me on Thursday and let me know that the doctor had seen something that he didn't like on her kidney and she was to have the CT on Friday. Once the CT scans were done, the doctor told her to go home, pack a bag and get checked into the hospital, because the kidney needed to be drained. She was checked in Friday night and surgery was scheduled for Saturday morning. They did the surgery while she was hooked up to a scanner so they could insert the tube into her kidney and have it exit her back and attach to a bag for collection. That is where it stands now. She should have all of the fluid drained and the mass will be small enough to allow proper functioning of the kidney by Monday. They will remove that and may send her home with antibiotics or do more surgery depending on the decision of the doctors and the results of the biopsy. Pray for her. Samantha was a great help in getting her spirits up today as John brought her to the hospital to visit her Mom. She brought her candy and made her a card that you can see on the table next to her bed. Jen's Mom, Diane, is on her way to Vegas and will stay with her this week and help her get through this. We will, of course, be in Vegas on May 16-19 for Darla's 50th birthday celebration. Looking forward to seeing her and hugging her.

 

All of this was going on while I played in the first two days of the 54 Hole Individual Championship at the Club. I was completely distracted as her surgery was at 10:30 and my tee time was 9:30. I considered skipping the tournament, but realized that there was nothing I could do. I stayed in touch with McKenny by phone and text and called him as soon as I got off the course. Jennifer answered the phone, groggy and incoherent and I asked her to hand the phone to McKenny. He said that the surgery went well, that she was resting and frustrated that the doctor didn't come by to see her. I had talked to Dad and Shirley and he said that there was little the doctor could do until the biopsy was completed and the kidney was sufficiently drained. Of course, he is right, but Jennifer had hoped to go home. Her fever was 102 degrees and she still had the bag attached to her. She is in again tonight and hoping to get some resolution from the doctors tomorrow. Her Mom arrives tonight, so she will have her there to help out. We talked to Jennifer last night and I talked to her again this morning. We will call her tonight.

 

I played well yesterday, shooting a 43 +40=83 for a net 70 and a tie for fifth place after the first day. Andy Ortiz played with me and also shot 84 net 70 and we played together again as they had us play in position today. I played with Joe from the club, who has a medical exemption for a bad back. He shot a net 69 yesterday and a net 66 today and I told him his medical exemption is OVER. I shot a 38+43=81, net 68 today and moved into a tie for third with a two day net total of 138. Joe is at 135 and the leader shot a 75 today with 12 strokes for a net 63 and a two day total of 130. He'll be hard to catch, but I should be in his foursome next Saturday. I am very happy with the state of my game right now, although my handicap will dip after shooting the three under total last weekend in the City Am and the 6 under this weekend. I could have really put up a score today, but missed six birdie putts and three putts of three feet today. it was stupid and I got tired at the end of the round and was 7 over par over the last six holes. I got tired and my driver left me. I was pulling the ball dead left and leaving myself impossible second shots. It was disturbing. I got tired after so much golf recently and was ready to relax tonight. One of the players in my foursome asked me if I was going to the range to work out what was wrong and I told him I knew what was wrong, I was spent. it was too bad, but I am in position to win this next week. they pay a low gross and a low net and I am right there for the low net.

 

Darla was in Lodi today for a street faire and did very well with her Silpada. She was up at 4:30 this morning and out the door at 5:30. She and her friend, Missy, drove up together and were in place by 7 AM, setting up there booth. They combined had close to $1300 in sales and did very well. making some good contacts and setting up a couple of house parties for later this Spring. I got home about 5:00 PM today and was out working on the pool when she got home. We visited in the late afternoon sunshine, I took a shower and a brief nap and headed to the laptop for my weekly Blog report.

 

By the way the two lower pictures are of my former assistant, Cora, who moved to the Philippines two years ago with her husband. she was in town to see her children and visit her sister and stopped in on Thursday to visit. This is Mel's wife, who I used to play golf with all the time.  Her sister, Dinda also used to be my assistant. She has moved back to Sacramento and, unfortunately, her husband has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. They are aggressively fighting the disease and travel monthly to Chicago to the cancer Centers of America for treatment. Please say a prayer for JP Yared as he fights this battle.

Well, that's it for this week. We are having a late dinner of barbecued steak and I need to get it on the grill. Pray for Jennifer and I will keep the family updated on her condition this week. Be well. Ciao.