Photographs: Part 1

Even though I like to think that my narrative skills have painted a sufficiently vivid picture, I've mulled over the prospects of posting photographs for some time; consequently, my decision to do so is not an effort to establish further credibility amongst my scant readership, as I offer my story and related musings on an "as is" basis; I feel no need or desire to "prove" that what I claim is fact, but I do feel that certain choice pictures can create a far more tangible effect than what mere words can accomplish.

I will post subsequent pictorials at some point in the next few weeks, but I've opted for broader shots here to characterize the general devastation.

Pulmonology and Massage...

I'm a little late in getting this up, but the checkup with my pulmonologist was very positive; I'll still get scoped sometime this summer, but after a series of abbreviated breathing tests, it was determined that my airways and lungs are perfectly clear and my overall pulmonary health has returned to normal levels.

That's an excellent development, and the news of further bronchoscopies was neither surprising nor disheartening; barring any unprecedented leaps in medical technology (molecular nanotechnology, anyone?), I've always known that I'll require consistent endoscopic examination due to the dangers of recurring bronchial stenosis, so calling such a revelation "news" is probably a misnomer.

In other news, a good friend of mine also happens to be an incredibly talented masseuse, and she and I were finally able to get together last Tuesday, where she proceeded to both demonstrate her occupational talents and avail me of interesting and insightful conversation. Not only did she alleviate a great deal of my rotator cuff, pectoral, and upper back pains, but she also worked my shoulders through a previously unattainable range of motion, which really did wonders for my pain level. We're planning on meeting on a weekly basis for the foreseeable future, so suffice it to say that I'm really looking forward to my weekly sessions and eagerly await this Thursday's massage.

Checkups '07...

I'll be having my normal retinue of checkups over the next couple months, starting with my pulmonologist this Friday. It's likely that I'll be getting another bronchoscopy sometime this year, so I'm guessing that I'll be scoped again in the coming months (perhaps during Spring Break?).

I'm also slated to see my orthopedic surgeon on the 28th of this month, which could very well mark the conclusion of my bone stim usage--assuming bone growth is as expected around the osteotomy site. Although my femur obviously doesn't feel any different structurally, I'm reasonably confident of a positive verdict this time around, as I've worn that accursed stim pretty reliably (easily greater than 90% of the prescribed time). I'll also recruit him to take a semi-official look at my pec and shoulder issues, as he should be able to more or less verify that I dodged a bullet this time around.

And although it's presently being rescheduled, I'll likely be in to see my neural ophthalmologist at some point in March, where I can look forward to some ridiculously dilated pupils accompanied by excruciatingly bright lights.