Cody: Farming, Navy, Rodeo And The Rest

@Cody Fousnaugh If you haven't experienced a big weight loss and/or have constant night sweats, then probably not cancer. I was worried about pancreatic cancer, but ultra sound results put that to rest. Doc has me eating two bananas a day, heat pad before bed, and that really helps.

 

One thing for sure, I'm NOT having a big weight loss. I am losing a few pounds, either due to not eating like I was or whatever my health problem is or both. However, I'm not eating fatty stuff like I was.
No night sweats at all. Nightly I'm using a heating pad for 15 minutes on my stomach before falling asleep and it really helps.
The ultra sound may come later, after we get the results back from yesterday's MRI of my prostate area. The problem may/may not be my prostate, but could very well be my gallbladder. IOW, infection or something. May have to have surgery and have it taken out. My wife had that done in 2000.

 

Update: Had an MRI done of my prostate area yesterday afternoon. At the requirement of the imaging place, I had to do an enema a couple of hours before my appointment. They told me to get Fleet Saline Enema from any pharmacy. I started researching online about Fleet Saline Enema and it isn't recommended for my age bracket due to it being phosphate. However, the imagining place told me that for a prostate MRI, I needed a water-based enema. I found a Fleet Mineral Oil Enema that, online, is recommended, but I was told that that type of enema isn't good for prostate MRI pictures. I ended up using the Saline one and it turned out ok. My wife helped me administer it to me, but I don't think I held the liquid inside of myself long enough. Holding it inside was very hard!

I'd had an MRI before, but it was for my shoulder one time and my hip another. For my shoulder I had contrast injected. For my prostate, contrast was also put into my arm, but during my MRI. I had hearing protection on, but it sure didn't filter out much of the noise of the MRI. During my shoulder and hip MRI, I wore headphones that played music. During yesterdays MRI, I didn't budge a bit, but was darn glad when it ended. One thing I found out, like the other MRI's I've had, I'm not claustrophobic!

So, now waiting a few days for the MRI results. One thing for sure, both wife and I have done some crying to each other just thinking about what I might have and how things will go.

 

Hang in there, Cody. The waiting is the worst, and I'm glad you and your wife have each other to lean on.

 

Thank you so, so much Beth for thinking of us.

 

Cody, have you heard from the MRI results? I hope all is well with you.

 

The MRI shows something in the prostate and it's stated as "likely cancer", but that hasn't been confirmed thru a biopsy yet. My wife and I decided to postpone the biopsy for a couple of months and told that to the Urologist this past Monday. My lymph nodes aren't affected. The biopsy was scheduled for today (Thursday Nov 14th). The Urologist told us that the decision to postpone is entirely up to us. Why did we decide that? It can take a month to recover from the biopsy and we want to have some enjoyment of Thanksgiving, the rodeo events in December and Christmas. The Urologist didn't push us at all to get the biopsy, so that, in itself, tells me something. He looked at both the MRI pictures and report.

I told the Urologist, "I'm just not ready for the biopsy yet" and he said "that's up to you and your wife". If something serious happens between now and Feb. 1st, I'll just go to the local ER. But, for now, I feel ok-to-fine.

 

Cody, I'm not trying to sound like an alarmist, but I would get the biopsy ASAP. (And if my husband were in your position, I'd be dragging him to get the biopsy without delay.) If it is cancer, depending on the type, it could spread to your lymph nodes rapidly. (Some cancers are more aggressive than others and you do not want to deal with a metastasis.) It is not in your best interest to delay in the event that it is malignant.

You may get the good news that it is not cancer at all, or that it is a slow growing type with no treatment required. But you won't know that without the biopsy.

Not sure why you believe a biopsy will require a month to recover. I have had several biopsies; they are generally simple procedures and no significant recovery time beyond a day or two. Don't be afraid of the biopsy; it could save your life.

 

Ok, I/we may have made a mistake in postponing it, but we did and that was our choice. I still say, if the Urologist would've seen something really serious in my MRI Report/Pictures, I would think he would've highly recommended me to go ahead with the biopsy, but that didn't happen.

Unless I find another Urologist, thru Medicare, not the VA/Community Care, I will have to stick with the February appointment. I can also call the Urologist's office and tell them "if there's a cancellation for the procedure, and it's sooner than in February, please give me a call."

So, bottom line here is..........the biopsy was postponed, period. Good or bad, we will have to face that when I do get a biopsy.

 

What I keep hearing: "Rodeo animals are treated like royalty." or:
"Abuse only happens in other countries - not in the U.S." Really?

 

This is a Wild Horse Race. These are wild horses. Do you know what a "wild horse" is. If this event was THAT bad, the stands wouldn't be full of fans watching.

IOW, both rodeo and ranch cowboys, former and current, have learned to pretty much ignore anyone criticizing ranch work or rodeo events. Heck, there are those that don't like Dog Shows or Agility Shows. There are those that don't like kids learning how to fish. The list goes on and on of those that don't like certain things that any animals participate in. As for us, we don't like wrestling events at all or Cage Fighting, but that's us.

 

Had a descent Thanksgiving. The Buffet we were going to have Thanksgiving Dinner at, had a line that was some 2 1/2 hours wait-time to get a table. The line was very, very long! So, went to a different restaurant in the same hotel/casino. Had to wait an hour in line, but the dinner was good. The trees surrounding the hotel/casino were all lite up in Christmas lights.
And, yes, was wearing full western attire, including our black felt hats.
It's unreal how full of people Las Vegas gets on Thanksgiving and Christmas!

On Friday, yesterday, my wife finished up decorating our Christmas tree. As it does every year she decorates it..........looks GREAT!! I have to finish up our Christmas Village on our dining room table. We ordered a new "add-on" to it. An electrical Skating Rink that lights up, has Christmas music and skaters move around.

Next week the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) starts at the Thomas-Mack Center in Las Vegas. Las Vegas goes "all out" for this 10-day professional (PRCA) rodeo that has a total purse of over 14 million dollars. We will be taking in some of the events, like one or two Contestant Autograph Sessions and Cowboy Christmas at the Vegas Convention Center. Of any time of the year in Las Vegas, this IS the only time of the year we really like/love Las Vegas.

 

After the National Finals Rodeo is over and my SIL (wife's older sister) and her daughter go back home, we will finally be able to go to our local Indoor Target Shooting Range. Before we go, I have to "sight-in" each handgun with the laser on each. I do that in our living room, using two targets taped to the outside of a closet door in our dining room. One target is for standing and the other for sitting. If our Sig Sauer .22 "Mosquito" handgun doesn't want to automatically eject the used bullet casing, we will sell it to a firearm store that buys firearms. That's what we did with our old Winchester Lever-Action 30-30 and Remington Express Shotgun. We are really looking forward to do some target shooting, since we haven't done it since leaving Colorado last year (2023).

 

@Cody Fousnaugh - I wish you well Cody in your health issue, in the mean time, ride high cowboy !