my life 2007

Diana,

I can’t speak for the others, but I know you can’t offend this male reader’s sensitivity.

I’m glad you discovered the link between the medication and blood pressure. Unfortunately hormone therapy is like antidepressants and chemotherapy - they’re very good, but it’s hard to predict how any one patient is going to respond to a given treatment. They all need to be tailored to some extent. It’s possible that another medication might give you the desired benefit without the high blood pressure, but it could take months or even years to find the right one. Whether the effort is worth it is up to you, obviously.

Dave

Good morning, Dave. :)

My doc will more than likely tell me to switch prescriptions, because the military would rather give you pills to treat the symptoms than solve the problem. I understand fully why they go so overboard to treat the symptoms in cases like mine, so I forgive their desire to NOT remove anything if they can help it. However, I’d like to just solve the problem once and for all for several reasons, not the least of which is that I’m not keen to keep pumping loads of artificial hormones into my body, but also because any given “symptom treatment” seems to become less effective as the months pass, anyway. I’m not sure I can convince them to just remove the offensive bits (I’d like to keep the estrogen-producing ones if I can, for what should be obvious reasons). We’ll see how that goes, though.

Meanwhile, I’m pretty tickled to have my BP back under control.

d

Diana, I’d say that the “good news” is that, according to the family “record", you should only have about 10 more years to worry about the problem, anyway.

Glad you are getting the BP under control NOW, though!

10 more years of this?! |-|

Diana,

It gets better - the hot flashes will start before then.

Dave

Uh…thanks, Dave. You’re a reg’lar ray of sunshine, you are. :-/

I’ll be having my yearly checkup and intimate conversation with my OB/GYN provider next month or so. I’ll be checking for other options.

Oh…and when I mentioned the “side effects” of BCPs, I left out the rising threat of BLOOD CLOTS. Egads.

d

Diana,

Sorry. I was a passenger on that train for a while, and got a good look at the track.

FWIW, chemo hastens the process. Not recommended for most patients, though. But that was one aggravation Roberta didn’t have to endure.

I’ve heard second-hand that having “engineering modifications” performed will have some side effects too, or at least won’t eliminate all current symptoms. I know you’ll perform due diligence, but it’s not the cure-all that some of my relatives had hoped.

On a different topic - are you still in the office through the summer?

Dave

Good morning, Cuz,

I had my “offensive bits” removed at the age of 27 due to a huge tumor. While benign, I was informed that that particular type of tumor would just most likely reappear after removal. I had spent about 23 months missing at least 1-2 days of work a month due to being so sick with the side effects. They left 1-1/2 of the estrogen producing parts and I never regretted taking that step. I would certainly do it all over again. It has been 24 years now and I have absolutely no regrets. I have already been through the hot flashes and have emerged on the other side. I realize that you aren’t really given the choice there, but if it ever came down to that, just know that life is a lot better on this side…I’d do it all oer again in a heartbeat.

Kat

Diana,

Consider this a comment on a closed topic - your almost-rant on the state of writing from April 27th. Apparently you’re not alone; the author of the article I’ve linked makes some complaints of his own.

Dave

Dave,

Some, er, “modifications” have side-effects, from what I’ve read, but I think that depends on what they remove. I will, naturally, do my homework prior to any permanent decisions.

Yes. I’m still in the office over the summer, except when I volunteer to help with field exercises (as now) and when I take leave or whatnot. Why do you ask?

Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out. BTW…sorry about closing comments on other threads, but it seems to be the only foolproof way to keep spammers at bay.

Kat,

I take it the tumor did not come back, after all. :|

I have the odd friend* who has had The Procedure, and I’ve not encountered any who regret it yet**. That’s a pretty good track record.

* Most of my friends are odd.
** I wasn’t sure where to put the “yet"–after the “it” or after the “not.” Your call.

d

Diana,

No particular reason - I was just curious about your schedule. Some teachers (like Dad) just sort of vanish from the office over the summer, while others keep semi-regular hours.

I understand why you need to close comments on earlier posts.

Dave

Diana, I love the comment about the “odd friends"! Seems that us odd people attract odd people, right? Love you muchly, dear!

Dave,

I’ve noticed that most of the department has vanished, come to think of it. Many go to conferences, are working with research grants, or are on leave or taking classes or volunteering like I am. Accountability in the department is left up to the in-line supervisors entirely, and they aren’t strict about work hours. That’s probably because they all know what our workloads are like for the rest of the year. I think the rule is, “As long as someone knows where you are and doesn’t disapprove, you can work any hours that suit you.”

But…there’s more than enough to do over the summer. Oddly, I thought I’d have time to read some books for pleasure over the summer, leisurely prepare my class syllabii, do some volunteer stuff, work on a conference paper, and take the time to research ways to improve my teaching. Now that the summer is upon me, I find that I may have time for 1/3rd of that. *sigh*

How DO professional academics juggle everything?

d

Diana,

If I recall correctly, many professors relied on grad students for mundane tasks. Maybe a number of other teachers aren’t as gung-ho about improving their own skills. I suspect the rest just muddle through as best they can.

Dave

P.S. You remember the advice you gave me about meeting people - be myself, do what I like to do, and I’ll eventually meet someone? I have a friend who has asked me to thank you on her behalf for telling me that. And if I haven’t already, I want to thank you as well. D.

Dave,

IIRC, you already knew that. Maybe you just needed a gentle reminder. So to you and your new friend, you’re most welcome.

Grad students? That would be nice. :) I’m not sure I’d use them, though. I haven’t had many profs who used GAs, and the practice strikes me as…cheating, somehow. As the student, I feel slightly cheated when I know the person teaching the class and ultimately responsible for my grade isn’t the one reading my papers and assigning the grades. Apparently, this is common practice, though.

d

Hiya d,

Interesting that I read this AFTER relating my problem of my own offensive bits earlier today. Luckily for me, it had nothing to do with BP. Luckily for you your BP has gone down.

It seems you put much stock in your doctor. That’s good. All I can say is no matter how much you may like your doc…get a second or third opinion before any intrusive operations.

D