Looks like my mother has kidney cancer.

It looks to be in situ, or without metastasis, so that's good news. It seems to be in a location that makes resection easy, and of course, she's got another one, so if a total nephrectomy is indicated, she'll be all right. So that's more good news. Will keep you posted on developments.

Just picked up a bottle of huckleberry-flavored vodka.

I think I'm in Heaven...

Friday Night Wine-Buzz. Ask me anything.

Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of my father's death.

I remember making the announcement here in the Lounge, and the outpouring of support and well-wishes from my Lounge friends. It was very gratifying.

The really sad thing is: I wish I could say I miss him. But I don't. He wrecked my family, and blamed my mother for it. He never took responsibility for anything he did wrong. And when he announced that he had pancreatic cancer, I tried with all my might to reconcile with him one last time. He not only never opened up to me, he told me and my sibs to our faces that he was not going to allow our mother to attend the funeral. When he said that, I nearly got up and walked out on him one last time. When I told my brother this several years after our dad died, he told me he was glad I didn't.

Anyway, I try in my life never to make the mistakes he did. I'm going to make my own mistakes, and that's fine. But I don't want anyone I love to feel indifferent to my death when it comes. I want to be remembered fondly. I hope that's not too egostistical a thing to wish for...

Ugh! A (literally) crazy day in clinic! Hold me...

A guy with some kind of un-diagnosed or treated delusional mental illness barricaded himself in the shower, ranting and raving the whole time, and wouldn't come out. My MA Supervisor tried for an hour to get him out so our other patients could take a shower, but he kept refusing. We finally called the cops, and they got him out of there. I hope they'll order an evaluation and get him on some treatment.

Had another guy offer an Oscar-worthy performance in an attempt to shake me down for opioid meds for his sciatica. I prescribed the appropriate treatment, gave him a shot of Toradol for the acute pain, and referred him to ortho. He kept hanging around the waiting room (refusing the whole time to go to the pharmacy to fill his prescriptions) talking about how much pain he's in.

This must be Tueday. I never could get the hang of Tuesdays...

A ground war in Iran would make the Iraq War look like a pushy-pushy on a playground.

Iran is three times the size of Iraq, and half the country is studded with tall, rugged mountains. The teenage religious fanatics of the Iran-Iraq War are long gone, and mostly-professional soldiers have taken their place.

We're in for a nasty time of it, just because Trump wants to divert attention away from collusion...

Looks like I may have to discuss with a patient the possibility of cervical cancer.

She told me she had a history of abnormal PAP smears, but that she hadn't followed up on it. The exam was not encouraging, with a presentation that resembled early-stage cervical carcinoma.

I got lab specimens and referred her for an stat ultrasound. We'll see what happens...

Thank you, DU friends, for always being there for me in times like these.

I love you all...