Men. Listen Up.

 I certainly don't qualify as one, but here is some sage advice - especially for you men. We males of the species are notoriously reluctant about seeking medical care, preferring to believe waiting and enduring will make the problem disappear. But if you sense something is wrong, you are suffering pain or persistent symptoms, do not prevaricate. See a doctor. And if there is no satisfying explanation forthcoming, insist on more testing or get a 2nd opinion. You must be an advocate for you. When it comes to medical decisions, trust your instincts, unless you are a stoic. Stoicism is not a virtue in these cases. 

As for myself, I am at last believing I have a future. Almost.

After 8 months of medical misery, I am finally feeling almost normal.  However, I will be thrilled to see the back of 2023. 

This year, I have faced a series of medical problems, a few of which may have been fatal even 50 years ago. Needless to say, I am thankful for modern medicine. Please, no pity party - rather I appeal to you to not take your health for granted. You know not what is around the bend. I had never spent a day in hospital in my life until this tsunami summer. 

Omitting the ugly details and ignoring the minor stuff, here is, starting in the Spring and continuing to the present,  an ESPN medical highlight reel. Before you read on, know that I am now feeling quite well, I believe the worst behind me.

(FYI: You're going to have to lookup the acronyms. The medical field is awash in them, worse than the computer business.)

1. UTI. TURP scheduled for early May ... 2. Emergency gall-bladder surgery, gangrenous. Worst pain of my life.  TURP postponed ... 3. "Hospital" infection requiring antibiotic infusion. PICC line for 3 weeks ...    4. DVT discovered, blood thinners for 4 months. TURP postponed ... 5. Acute stomach / back pain. ER visit. 6. UTI again ... 7. Botched blood draw, pain/numbness/heaviness in arm.  8. Neurology for EMG & MRI ...  9. TURP procedure performed - finally in October.  10. Bad anesthesia reaction.. 11. DVT again.  Back on blood thinners ...

All this after a lifetime of good health, with only 1 ER visit - and that for some stitches. So you see, you just never know what's in store.  And sadly, not a single bike ride in 2023.  I'm planning to make up for it in 2024

And a salient point. A support network is a treasure. What saved me from deep despair was my caring wife, friends and relatives pushing my chin up - and a nice tall pile of books, 100 of them.  

Be careful.  Take care of yourself. 

In case you're a book lover,  here's my best of the 100. Fiction.

1. Horse - Geraldine Brooks
2. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk - Kathleen Rooney
3. A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
4. Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver
5. The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak
6. The Sentence - Louise Erdich
7. Matrix - Lauren Goff
8. The Passenger - Cormac McCarthy
9. Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Grams 
10. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - James McBride 
11. Because of Winn-Dixie - Kate DiCamillo
12. Harlem Shuffle - Colson Whitehead

Copyright ©  2023  Dave Hoplin