The Emotional Roller Coaster Ride

I expected it would start at some point but didn't know when. While I like to consider myself a rational thoughtful human there is an emotional component to my personality and it kicked in today, the emotions were not to be denied. While speaking with the hospice nurse I completely broke down. Lots of tears and uncontrolled sobbing while I was trying to relay information to the nurse. She came over and cradled my head and let me cry (even writing down the experience now leaves me teary eyed). Just that simple act of kindness though makes this transition to hospice worthwhile.  While not avoiding the emotional aspects of my personality I prefer to maintain some control but all the news, decision making, and adaption to a new lifestyle caught up with me and kicked me in the butt. I felt kinda like if I cried enough somehow all of this would magically go away but like everything else on this new adventure I'm along for the ride and have to acknowledge that I'm going to experience a variety of emotions but uncontrolled sobbing is way down on my list of fun. I eventually regained some semblance of control and after our meeting the nurse called the hospice medical director with her observations and recommendations and the liquid morphine prescription was filled that afternoon. Clearly these folks know how to get things done in a timely fashion for which I'm extremely grateful.

I guess I'm in a bargaining phase where wild thoughts come to me uninvited that somehow all this will disappear or it is an incorrect diagnosis, but I've seen the lab results and images myself, I know what is in my gut but it doesn't deter the wild thoughts that pop into my head. I find these thoughts suddenly emerging, unbidden, grasping at any threads of hope somewhat disturbing. Intellectually, I know the outcome but the more primal emotional aspects of my personality refuses to accept the situation. The key for me is to first acknowledge the thoughts but to put them aside and get on with what I was doing. I suspect it is all a control issue and as I've observed, everyone (including myself) believes they rule the world.

I also got the results of the last ultrasound scan (Friday mornings scan looking for ascites fluid in my belly) this afternoon and there is now evidence if disease in my spleen. Since the spleen appeared normal on the first ultrasound as well as the CT scan done in Springfield, it would appear this is moving fairly quickly.  Although I've finally bounced back from surgery (yea my colon started working again) and feel better much of the time, it is still surprising how rapidly things can change, one minute I feel fine and the next not so good.  So I guess I have to balance both the emotional and physical roller coaster from this point onward.

The psychological aspects to this journey are surprising to me and I suspect I will be learning more as I progress along this path.  As a male I do have the y chromosome linked emotion suppressor gene which has functioned quite well so far, but now not so good.  And promise to keep folks updated on what I find as things continue to evolve.

Octillo in bloom