Somebody Get Me A Doctor (Van Halen)

I'm not dead. Not yet, anyway.

According to my primary blog home at http://ralphtettascomedyroadtrip.blogspot.com/, I haven't written since August 3rd of this year. That's o.k. with me, I guess, because I've been busy, and not much has prompted me to want to share. Even now, I'm only writing out of guilt and that I feel I owe it to myself to put something down in print, just to get it out of my head.

I'm not a healthy person. And by that, I mean physically healthy. Where I'm at mentally and spiritually is a good place, I think. I've picked up some solid coping skills and I like who I am much more than the person I was ten years ago. I'm not a hot-head, I don't scare as easily, and I try to consider the other person's situation before I judge them too harshly. In my opinion, I'm doing pretty good for myself from a mental health standpoint.

Physically, I need some work.

I could list off the maladies, and all the usual suspects would be there, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea; but the worst one is diabetes. I'm a type-II candidate, which means "adult onset." My pancreas doesn't make enough insulin to keep my blood sugar at a manageable level. I take oral medication in lieu of insulin injections, and that's fine with me; they work like a charm.

Unfortunately, diabetes has led to a loss of kidney function. I'd been seeing a nephrologist and we saw my kidney values decreasing as time went on, but this last Friday I went in and we discovered that I have some blood in my urine. I'm no doctor, but even I knew that wasn't good. A week or so ago I was on the road, and noticed my urine had gotten very dark, like the color of A-1 steak sauce, and then lightened up. I was out of blood pressure medicine and was waiting to get back home to get my prescription filled, so that may have had something to do with it, but my nephrologist ordered a CAT scan for me for this week, just to make sure I didn't have a blockage or anything.

The only thing we're waiting for right now is for insurance to give the o.k. for the CAT scan. An insurance company has gotten between me and my doctor. Not the government; an insurance company.

I don't know how you feel about health care reform, but I've pretty much made up my mind.

I'll keep you posted as my condition is diagnosed and treated.

Ralph Tetta
Rochester, NY