Getting my Gizzard Popped

On my journey to gall bladder surgery I had an ultrasound and last Friday had an MRCP or Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography. The instructions were to fast-nothing by mouth-for four hours before the 8:30 AM test, so I got up at 3:30 to take my am medication and to worry for a bit. You see, this has been dragging on since September which may not seem like much, but I started a new job-well not a NEW job, but a promotion-last January and taking all this time off is giving me angst. And now having to have surgery and all of the pre-testing time is stressing me.

So I arrived at 7:45, always early as the nuns taught me, starving, and craving coffee, to discover that it was not necessary to fast. As a matter of fact, the first thing I was made to do was drink pineapple juice. If only it had caffeine or valium in it!

The next thing, of course was to disrobe and then robe in a color coded hospital gown-or two as I never know the code for woman size. I discovered that an MRCP is pretty much like any other scan. It’s like being in your own toilet paper tube which is then tossed into a cement mixer. Only this scan had headphones with nice music when the cement mixer was off. And I wasn’t doing breathing exercises, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in and hold it…

I’ll have the results in a day or two or my surgeon will. I have a pre-surgery examination on Wednesday (1/2 day off.) I have a second opinion on Thursday (1/2 day off.) By the time I actually have the surgery I’ll have no time left.

One thing I did discover was a brochure that offered a free program at the hospital to ”Feel calmer before surgery. Use less pain medication. Recover faster.” I think I should call right now.

Music by the Dallas Metropolitan MCC

The Cost of Being LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender) in Todays World

Thanks to Chuck's Laird68.com

Punishments for being who you are in different parts of the world

Algeria – A Fine to 3 Years in Prison
Angola – Labor Camps
Antigua and Barbuda – 15 Years in Prison
Bahrain – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Bangladesh – 10 Years to Life in Prison
Barbados – Life in Prison
Belize – 10 Years in Prison
Benin – 3 Years in Prison
Bhutan – 1 Month to 1 Year in Prison
Botswana – A Fine to 7 Years in Prison
Brunei – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Cameroon – A Fine to 5 Years in Prison
Cook Islands – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Djibouti – 10 to 12 Years in Prison
Dominica – 10 Years in Prison
Egypt – 5 Years in Prison
Eritrea – 3 to 10 Years in Prison
Ethiopia – 10 Days to 3 Years in Prison
Gambia – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Ghana – Not Known
Grenada – 10 Years in Prison
Guinea – 6 Months to 3 Years in Prison
Guinea Bissau – Labor Camps
India – A Fine to Life in Prison
Iran – Death
Jamaica – 10 Years Hard Labor
Kenya – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Kiribati – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Kuwait – A Fine to 7 Years in Prison
Lebanon – A Fine to 1 Year in Prison
Lesotho – Not Known
Liberia – A Fine
Libya – A Fine to 5 Years in Prison
Malawi – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Malaysia – A Fine to 20 Years in Prison
Mauritania – Death
Mauritius – A Fine to 5 Years in Prison
Morocco – 6 Months to 3 Years in Prison
Mozambique – Labor Camps
Myanmar/Burma – 10 Years to Life in Prison
Namibia – Not Known
Nauru – 14 Years Hard Labor
Nepal – A Fine to 1 Year in Prison
Nicaragua – 1 to 3 Years in Prison
Nigeria – 5 Years in Prison to Death
Niue – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Oman – A Fine to 3 Years in Prison
Pakistan – 2 Years to Life in Prison
Palau – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Palestine – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Papua New Guinea – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Qatar – A Fine to 5 Years in Prison
Saint Kitts and Nevis – 10 Years in Prison
Saint Lucia – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Saint Vincent and Grenadines – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Samoa – A Fine to 7 Years in Prison
Sao Tome and Principe – Labor Camps
Saudi Arabia – Death
Senegal – 1 Month to 5 Years in Prison
Seychelles – A Fine to 2 Years in Prison
Sierra Leone – Life in Prison
Singapore – 2 Years in Prison
Solomon Islands – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Somalia – 3 Months in Prison to Death
Sri Lanka – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Sudan – 5 Years in Prison to Death
Swaziland – A Fine
Syria – A Fine to 3 Years in Prison
Tanzania – A Fine to 25 Years in Prison
Togo – A Fine to 3 Years in Prison
Tokelau – A Fine to 10 Years in Prison
Trinidad and Tobago – 25 Years in Prison
Tunisia – A Fine to 3 Years in Prison
Turkmenistan – A Fine to 2 Years in Prison
Tuvalu – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Uganda – A Fine to Life in Prison
United Arab Emirates – Death
Uzbekistan – A Fine to 3 Years in Prison
Yemen – Flogging to Death
Zambia – A Fine to 14 Years in Prison
Zimbabwe – A Fine to 1 Year in Prison

Friday Five

photo-which one is me?

1. How did you celebrate this time of year when you were a child?
My friend Trudy and I would dress up in-usually-home made costumes and go out into the neighborhood trick-or-treating! It was a small town. My mother and aunt owned the grocery store and everyone knew us, so it was safe and, after a certain age we usually went alone. We collected a lot of goodies.
A couple of the noteable costumes I made and wore when attending parties as an adult in NY were the crocodile in Peter Pan-with the rest of the cast played by friends. And loose change-in the 80's-with other kinds of money being played by friends-old money was my partner.
And of course as a child, mass the next day as it was a holy day of obligation. All Saints Day. I think we may have had the day off-or not.

2. Do you and/or your family “celebrate” Halloween? Why or why not? And if you do, has it changed from what you used to do?
We used to go to the great Haloween Parade when it was smaller-a NY tradition. But now it has become too big and scary and too many youthful non-natives come from the commuting states to get drunk and act stupid, so we stay home. ( do I sound like a New York snob?)

2. Candy apples: Do you prefer red cinnamon or caramel covered? Or something else?
I take advantage of the availability to buy and eat small chocolate bars that come packaged in large bags. I shouldn't and I keep them in a prominent place in my office so the my unit knows where to get them so they disapear fast, which is good for me, the disapearance part.
Candy apples, not really.

3. Pumpkins: Do you make Jack O’ Lanterns? Any ideas of what else to do with them?
Unfortunately, they take up too much room.

4. Do you decorate your home for fall or Halloween? If so, what do you do? Bonus points for pictures.
Unfortunately, they take up too much room.

5. Do you like pretending to be something different? Does a costume bring our an alternate personality?
Love it when I have the chance! I have love to hide behind a mask. It always allows this introvert to be somewhat less inhibited at a party!

How Real Am I?

You Are 88% Real

There's hardly a person on this earth more real than you are. You have no problem showing people who you are, flaws and all. For you, there couldn't be any other way. Because it's way too stressful to live an inauthentic life. You're very comfortable with yourself. And because of this, you're able to live an exciting, interesting, and challenging life.

How Real Are You?

Addendum to Friday Five on Saturday

From GOD HATES SHRIMP http://www.godhatesshrimp.com/

"Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels, all these are an abomination before the Lord, just as gays are an abomination. Why stop at protesting gay marriage? Bring all of God's law unto the heathens and the sodomites. We call upon all Christians to join the crusade against Long John Silver's and Red Lobster. Yea, even Popeye's shall be cleansed. The name of Bubba shall be anathema. We must stop the unbelievers from destroying the sanctity of our restaurants."

9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

So, all of you Revgalblogpals heed this! Actually, in my household, the Jewish Beloved abstains from fish withouth fins or scales (we have had discussions in restaurants about this) shellfish and lobster. And in 16+ years, in only one instance has our oven seen a ham!

Friday Five-Homage to the Top Chef

If you were a food, what would you be?

My mother and her sister worked in the family business, a grocery store (pre-supermarket) when they were growing up, and then took it over when my grandfather died. My mother was the butcher and we always ate lots of steaks. After I grew up and moved away when I'd leave after a visit, she would send be away with a box of my favorite food, New York Strip Steaks, so I guess that's what I'd be. Substantial, a little old fashioned although flying in the face of convention in these vegan days. A good New York strip steak, red in the center, charred outside.

What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where?

1.Every meal I had in southern Italy this past spring was great and the memorable ones were the unexpected ones like at the car/bus gas station, when we had a flat tire and had the best breakfast and lunch! Better than any restaurant in the US, so good. We could have eaten every meal there!
2.This is difficult as I've had so many, hence my previous post! I'm remembering a plate of pasta I had at Chez Panisse in Oakland, California in the 80's, not in the main restaurant as we couldn't get a reservation but the one downstairs. I just remember that it was delicious and perfect.

What is your favorite comfort food from childhood?

Why, warm chocolate pudding, of course!

When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit?

Haven't been to a lot of potlucks, but last Friday I took a box of Dunking Donuts to my Catholic Lesbians Group and it was a hit!

What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate?

I'm a pretty picky eater, so sushi is it, but I don't consider that strange. Hmmm I may have to think about this today and add something later. I was never a paste eater in grade school.

Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal?

As I stopped drinking alcohol 20+ years ago it's Coca-Cola or iced tea for me. But when I go out, I'll have a ginger ale to be festive! Has anyone tried Arizona Iced Tea Stress Tea. I started drinking it after the World Trade Center when I was cutting back on caffeine. I'm hooked. Water, too.

Doctor Shopping

Mrs Dumple decides who will have the
privilege of removing her gall bladder.

And that's what I will be doing starting this morning. It seems that my "Hep A" turned out to be an expired gall bladder-one producing stones, rocks and boulders rather than what it is supposed to be doing-not quite sure what that is, but I have a vauge idea. Yes, the yellowness, fever, pain were not the slightly sexy Hep A, but the dowdy, common gall bladder disease. Yuck. Doesn't it seem old, Well apparently it's THE most common surgery performed on WOMEN! wow.

I talked to my-no plan-doctor who recomended a-non-plan-surgeon. $$$$$$$$ later, I looked on my plan website. 199 general surgeons. I faxed the list to my doc who chose two, both it turned out do only hernias. Hey, I asked for a general surgeon and that's what was listed. False advertising! So it seems there is a gall bladder guy in the practice. (the gall bladder is green in all illustrations-is that right?) I'm seeing him this morning. Stay tuned.

P.S. IF YOU HAVE HAD THIS SURGERY AND HAVE HAD LESS THAN A GOOD EXPERIENCE, DO LEAVE ME DETAILS AS I AM A GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT. Thank you.

The Flatulent Nun-Callahan

And perhaphs you might understand why this amuses me.

Callahan Online-A Cartoon and a Suppository

John Callahan is an hysterically funny guy who happens to be a quadriplegic in a wheelchair . He's shocking, he's wicked, he's irreverent. Nothing is taboo and nothing is funnier!

I love his cartoons and when people-in my field or anwhere -start infantilizing or putting people with disabilities on a pedastal, well I'd like to sit them down with a book of Callahan Cartoons.

His website is: http://www.callahanonline.com/index.php