Two firsts.

Today I had two new experiences.

1) I rode my motorcycle on the interstate for the first time.

2) I got stitches.

I had a doctors appointment in Payson, about 15 minutes from where I live. I've been tight on money this week so I decided not to drive my gas-guzzling 4runner, and instead took my motorcycle. This also shortened the trip by about 1/3.

The doctor's appointment was to get a diagnosis on some tumors that have been on my body for about a year and a half. I have been putting off going to the doctor over them because I think I've been more scared of knowing that not knowing what they are. I had a cousin who died at about my age.. maybe a year or two older. He called his mom and said that he wasn't feeling so good. He died a month later of brain cancer. Actually he had cancer all over his body... liver, brain, stomach... I don't really remember where all it got to. Anyway, When these tumors started popping up all over the place I decided that if the were nothing, I would do nothing, and if they were deadly, I would rather find out the hard way.... I dunno I guess I would rather die than go through all kinds of radiation and chemo and all that. I just don't think it's worth it.

Anyway, I finally went ahead and got them looked at, mostly at the request of my father, who cares a lot about me and even sent me a check to pay for the visit. I talked to the nurse who was taking my vitals and what not and she seemed excited that I had tumors. She said something like "I hope we get to take them out!". When the doctor came in he poked around at them for about 5 minutes and made a few 'ho' and 'hum' noises. Then he said that they seemed really strange, probably nothing serious. "But what say we get one of those out of you and send it off for some tests?" he asked. "That's fine" I said. "Then follow me to where the fun stuff is..." We went in a little room were the nurse was eagerly dumping scalpels on a tray and squirting Iodine into little cups... cotton swabs, gause, a suture set... She was BEAMING!

He started talking to me about my motorcycle and how he had gotten one in high school, unbeknownst to his parents. He told me how he had wrecked on it, and that he went to a family reunion after he recovered and found that he was the most unpopular cousin because he had ruined everyone else's chances of EVER owning a motorcycle while in their parent's house. He put about an inch long slice on my left arm over the biggest of the 3 tumors... the one that people always mistake for a "gnarly mosquito bite". He grabbed it with a pair of forceps and began snipping away at the sinew around it. I watched for a bit until he would give the tumor a little tug, jarring my arm. Then I would watch the ceiling tiles for a bit. Finally he pulled it out and snipped out a couple of remnant pieces. He didn't miss a beat, he started stitching me back up, telling me about when he was a Physicians assistant in Idaho, and how the ER doctors would always dump the suture jobs on him after they had all the fun. He talked about how stupid it would be for the U.S. to get free, government provided health care like the Canadians... how he felt sorry for Veterans who can't even get decent health care, and how the goverment is at fault. He was a pretty nice guy. No nonsense.

I was expecting to see a doctor who would say... hmmm,... go get an MRI. and then have to go to an MRI and have them tell me the results were inconclusive, and that I should go see a specialist. who would tell me to go see a general surgeon.. who would hack one out and send off for some tests. glad I got a doctor who was willing to take care of all of that on my first visit, here's hoping that the test results are to my liking.