The PSE's Serious Medical Problems:
Saturday, 3 October 2026 03:01 pmthe PSE has always thought that she will die young.
this has been a consistent premonition that the PSE has had for decades, back before she ever shacked up with me. i am not sure where it comes from.
just a few weeks ago the PSE and i were talking about nothing in particular and she just kind of mentioned that she thought she would die at 47. the PSE is now 40.
that all seems like a weird dark cloud to have hanging over her head but, who knows, maybe the PSE is on to something?
#1)
on Monday, 21 September, we were starting to wind down the evening and the PSE was flossing Dax's teeth on the couch when all of a sudden her right arm went numb, her hand opened involuntarily, and she lost vision in her right eye.
i took over Dax's oral hygiene and the PSE went to sit in the bedroom and do some worried Googling.
obviously, with the PSE's symptoms, a stroke was the obvious culprit.
she did not have any facial paralysis or slurred speech, but two out of four of the major signs is still pretty fucking scary.
when the PSE was young, doctors tried to amputate her father's legs because of his poor circulation and the risk of blood clots and the risk of an embolism.
is that related to a Stroke? probably? i don't know?
i took over Dax's nighttime routine.
after several minutes the PSE came out of the bedroom and i told her “you should go to the Hospital...”
this was probably nothing, just some weird fluke that her body was doing, but why risk it?
also, the PSE has Medicaid, it would literally cost her nothing, so why not play things safe?
the PSE demurred. she was just run down, she insisted.
the PSE woke up sick that morning and spent most of the day in bed not feeling well.
Dax had been sick with a mild cold all weekend and, predictably, the PSE picked up what Dax had been putting down.
so maybe this was all related to her sickness? i doubt it.
after i read Dax a story and i was in the middle of doing her nighttime routine the PSE came out of the bedroom again to say “yeah, okay, let's go to the hospital...”
i guess she had been doing more Googling and her fear and anxieties were getting the better of her.
so Dax and i loaded the PSE into the car and drove to the hospital, which is maybe five minutes away.
we pulled around back to their Emergency Room, i parked my car out front and i planned on walking the PSE into the lobby to see what the wait was and to talk to a Nurse, maybe, but as i was getting Dax out of the car some security guard came around to tell me to keep it moving!
as i drove away Dax asked me why i listened to him.
i don't know, kid! that's a good question!
back at the House i spent another hour getting Dax to sleep.
she was surprisingly cool about the situation, given how up the PSE's ass she normally is.
i explained that the PSE had a problem with her hand and her eye and she was getting things checked out and she'll probably be back tomorrow.
Dax went to sleep easier then i expected.
it was pretty busy in the ER when the PSE arrived.
she told her problems to the Duty Nurse and took a seat in the lobby and she sat around waiting for a good long while.
at some point somebody came around to take some blood.
they never bothered to tell her the results but the PSE was able to download their MyChart App and look it up herself.
the PSE's Carbon Dioxide was low – it was 19 when the normal range is between 22 and 30.
and the PSE's Glucose Serum was high – it was 117 when the normal range is between 74 and 100.
what does that mean? i don't know and neither did the PSE. nobody came around to tell her.
after two hours of hanging around the Emergency Room lobby, somebody came around to give her a CT scan, which is the standard protocol for a suspected stroke.
the PSE laid on the table for several minutes and the machine did its thing.
then the PSE went back to the waiting room to keep on waiting for the results.
the PSE received the results of her CT Scan around 12:45am.
everything appeared normal, without contrast.
at 1:30am somebody finally came around and told her that everything seemed normal on her CT Scan, but that they wanted to keep her overnight for observation anyway, and for an MRI.
what's the difference between a CT Scan and an MRI? i couldn't tell you.
i went to bed around 2:00am.
the PSE was assigned a room at the hospital around 4:00am, but she didn't sleep much.
she said she was too nervous and spun up with anxiety.
Dax woke up a little after 8:00am.
she came into the bedroom to cuddle with the PSE and was disappointed to find her still in hospital.
i got out of bed and i got Dax's day started with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then checked in with the PSE.
the results of her MRI just came back around 7:30am and, like the CT Scan, they were normal.
well that's a good sign, but what the hell happened with the PSE's hand and vision?
the operating theory was that the PSE might have had a tiny blood clot that quickly dissolved but that was just what the ER Nurse was guessing, the PSE would have to meet with Neurology to find out.
the PSE hung out in her hospital room for another several hours.
she didn't sleep much because she was still pretty nervous about what the fuck was happening to her, and she didn't eat, either.
the PSE just kept on thinking that she didn't want to die, and also, that she didn't want to lose her hands.
the PSE has a lot of her identity tied up in being handy.
around 11:00am the Neurology Team came around and did the same thing that a dozen other people had her do before: follow my finger with your eyes, squeeze my hand as hard as you can.
the PSE was able to do all of those things like a normal person.
the Neurologist then decided that her problem wasn't a blood clot because the right eye and the right hand are controlled by different parts of the brain, and her brain would have had to have multiple clots at once that all disappeared, and that is unlikely.
their best guess as to what happened to the PSE was something called a Silent Migraine, which is a migraine, but without the headache part.
is that a thing that exists or did they just make that up to mollify the PSE? i have no idea.
the PSE spent another hour processing out of the Hospital.
the PSE has Medicare, so there was no bill.
her whole fifteen hour stay and all the tests that she undertook would have cost me $7,000, my entire annual deductible, and an uninsured person would have gotten a bill in the six-figures, but because the PSE is a poor person, and because we live in a Democrat State, the PSE was on the Medicare, and the Medicare is where you want to be.
the day they take the PSE's Medicare from her i expect her to run outside and scream at the sky.
Dax and i went and picked the PSE up from the Hospital at 12:30pm, on our way to Dax's Preschool.
after dropping Dax off the PSE came back home, took a shower and took a nap for a good long while.
we're glad to have you back, PSE! we're glad you're not a wet brain.
#2)
on Friday 11 September the PSE went and had a mammogram.
it was her first mammogram ever, since she turned 40 back in May.
the plan was for me to come home from work early and hang out with Dax while the PSE went to go get her titties smushed in the machine, but then Dax insisted on tagging along because Dax is always up the PSE's ass.
so the PSE went and got her tits smushed while some Nurse's Assistant hung out with Dax.
it was the PSE's first time and i guess it was pretty uncomfortable.
but, not as uncomfortable as breast cancer, so the PSE did what she had to do.
four or five days later the PSE got a call from the Medicaid Clinic.
“yeah, there's a problem with your tits, you're gonna need to come back in!”
the PSE was eager to go back in to see what the fuck was up with her breasts, but the soonest they could fit her in wouldn't be for another two weeks.
well motherfucker!
one day at dinner the PSE was talking about her situation, [or more likely, i was talking about the PSE's situation because the PSE doesn't really talk directly to my Mother – it is a problem.]
my Mother said that she used to get these call-backs all the time after a mammogram and it was always nothing.
but of course, regular readers might recall that my Mother eventually had breast cancer back in maybe Year Two of this here LiveJournal, so i guess those call backs weren't all as big of a nothing as anybody would have liked.
on Wednesday 30 September the PSE finally, finally had her follow-up mammogram.
she went while Dax was in Preschool.
the PSE put her tits in the smushing machine and this time they had somebody look at the results right then and there.
the problem is that the PSE has calcium deposits in her breast meat.
a lot of women have them, apparently, but since this was the PSE's first mammogram, the radiologist didn't know if it was just calcium deposits or some kind of cancerous mass.
they said they weren't too worried, but that the PSE should come back in six months for a follow-up.
if the spots remain the same size and shape the PSE should be good.
if they have grown, then the next step is a biopsy.
but that'll be a problem for March.
for now, the PSE will go on about her business like she probably doesn't have breast cancer.
//[AVAST YE!]
this has been a consistent premonition that the PSE has had for decades, back before she ever shacked up with me. i am not sure where it comes from.
just a few weeks ago the PSE and i were talking about nothing in particular and she just kind of mentioned that she thought she would die at 47. the PSE is now 40.
that all seems like a weird dark cloud to have hanging over her head but, who knows, maybe the PSE is on to something?
#1)
on Monday, 21 September, we were starting to wind down the evening and the PSE was flossing Dax's teeth on the couch when all of a sudden her right arm went numb, her hand opened involuntarily, and she lost vision in her right eye.
i took over Dax's oral hygiene and the PSE went to sit in the bedroom and do some worried Googling.
obviously, with the PSE's symptoms, a stroke was the obvious culprit.
she did not have any facial paralysis or slurred speech, but two out of four of the major signs is still pretty fucking scary.
when the PSE was young, doctors tried to amputate her father's legs because of his poor circulation and the risk of blood clots and the risk of an embolism.
is that related to a Stroke? probably? i don't know?
i took over Dax's nighttime routine.
after several minutes the PSE came out of the bedroom and i told her “you should go to the Hospital...”
this was probably nothing, just some weird fluke that her body was doing, but why risk it?
also, the PSE has Medicaid, it would literally cost her nothing, so why not play things safe?
the PSE demurred. she was just run down, she insisted.
the PSE woke up sick that morning and spent most of the day in bed not feeling well.
Dax had been sick with a mild cold all weekend and, predictably, the PSE picked up what Dax had been putting down.
so maybe this was all related to her sickness? i doubt it.
after i read Dax a story and i was in the middle of doing her nighttime routine the PSE came out of the bedroom again to say “yeah, okay, let's go to the hospital...”
i guess she had been doing more Googling and her fear and anxieties were getting the better of her.
so Dax and i loaded the PSE into the car and drove to the hospital, which is maybe five minutes away.
we pulled around back to their Emergency Room, i parked my car out front and i planned on walking the PSE into the lobby to see what the wait was and to talk to a Nurse, maybe, but as i was getting Dax out of the car some security guard came around to tell me to keep it moving!
as i drove away Dax asked me why i listened to him.
i don't know, kid! that's a good question!
back at the House i spent another hour getting Dax to sleep.
she was surprisingly cool about the situation, given how up the PSE's ass she normally is.
i explained that the PSE had a problem with her hand and her eye and she was getting things checked out and she'll probably be back tomorrow.
Dax went to sleep easier then i expected.
it was pretty busy in the ER when the PSE arrived.
she told her problems to the Duty Nurse and took a seat in the lobby and she sat around waiting for a good long while.
at some point somebody came around to take some blood.
they never bothered to tell her the results but the PSE was able to download their MyChart App and look it up herself.
the PSE's Carbon Dioxide was low – it was 19 when the normal range is between 22 and 30.
and the PSE's Glucose Serum was high – it was 117 when the normal range is between 74 and 100.
what does that mean? i don't know and neither did the PSE. nobody came around to tell her.
after two hours of hanging around the Emergency Room lobby, somebody came around to give her a CT scan, which is the standard protocol for a suspected stroke.
the PSE laid on the table for several minutes and the machine did its thing.
then the PSE went back to the waiting room to keep on waiting for the results.
the PSE received the results of her CT Scan around 12:45am.
everything appeared normal, without contrast.
at 1:30am somebody finally came around and told her that everything seemed normal on her CT Scan, but that they wanted to keep her overnight for observation anyway, and for an MRI.
what's the difference between a CT Scan and an MRI? i couldn't tell you.
i went to bed around 2:00am.
the PSE was assigned a room at the hospital around 4:00am, but she didn't sleep much.
she said she was too nervous and spun up with anxiety.
Dax woke up a little after 8:00am.
she came into the bedroom to cuddle with the PSE and was disappointed to find her still in hospital.
i got out of bed and i got Dax's day started with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then checked in with the PSE.
the results of her MRI just came back around 7:30am and, like the CT Scan, they were normal.
well that's a good sign, but what the hell happened with the PSE's hand and vision?
the operating theory was that the PSE might have had a tiny blood clot that quickly dissolved but that was just what the ER Nurse was guessing, the PSE would have to meet with Neurology to find out.
the PSE hung out in her hospital room for another several hours.
she didn't sleep much because she was still pretty nervous about what the fuck was happening to her, and she didn't eat, either.
the PSE just kept on thinking that she didn't want to die, and also, that she didn't want to lose her hands.
the PSE has a lot of her identity tied up in being handy.
around 11:00am the Neurology Team came around and did the same thing that a dozen other people had her do before: follow my finger with your eyes, squeeze my hand as hard as you can.
the PSE was able to do all of those things like a normal person.
the Neurologist then decided that her problem wasn't a blood clot because the right eye and the right hand are controlled by different parts of the brain, and her brain would have had to have multiple clots at once that all disappeared, and that is unlikely.
their best guess as to what happened to the PSE was something called a Silent Migraine, which is a migraine, but without the headache part.
is that a thing that exists or did they just make that up to mollify the PSE? i have no idea.
the PSE spent another hour processing out of the Hospital.
the PSE has Medicare, so there was no bill.
her whole fifteen hour stay and all the tests that she undertook would have cost me $7,000, my entire annual deductible, and an uninsured person would have gotten a bill in the six-figures, but because the PSE is a poor person, and because we live in a Democrat State, the PSE was on the Medicare, and the Medicare is where you want to be.
the day they take the PSE's Medicare from her i expect her to run outside and scream at the sky.
Dax and i went and picked the PSE up from the Hospital at 12:30pm, on our way to Dax's Preschool.
after dropping Dax off the PSE came back home, took a shower and took a nap for a good long while.
we're glad to have you back, PSE! we're glad you're not a wet brain.
#2)
on Friday 11 September the PSE went and had a mammogram.
it was her first mammogram ever, since she turned 40 back in May.
the plan was for me to come home from work early and hang out with Dax while the PSE went to go get her titties smushed in the machine, but then Dax insisted on tagging along because Dax is always up the PSE's ass.
so the PSE went and got her tits smushed while some Nurse's Assistant hung out with Dax.
it was the PSE's first time and i guess it was pretty uncomfortable.
but, not as uncomfortable as breast cancer, so the PSE did what she had to do.
four or five days later the PSE got a call from the Medicaid Clinic.
“yeah, there's a problem with your tits, you're gonna need to come back in!”
the PSE was eager to go back in to see what the fuck was up with her breasts, but the soonest they could fit her in wouldn't be for another two weeks.
well motherfucker!
one day at dinner the PSE was talking about her situation, [or more likely, i was talking about the PSE's situation because the PSE doesn't really talk directly to my Mother – it is a problem.]
my Mother said that she used to get these call-backs all the time after a mammogram and it was always nothing.
but of course, regular readers might recall that my Mother eventually had breast cancer back in maybe Year Two of this here LiveJournal, so i guess those call backs weren't all as big of a nothing as anybody would have liked.
on Wednesday 30 September the PSE finally, finally had her follow-up mammogram.
she went while Dax was in Preschool.
the PSE put her tits in the smushing machine and this time they had somebody look at the results right then and there.
the problem is that the PSE has calcium deposits in her breast meat.
a lot of women have them, apparently, but since this was the PSE's first mammogram, the radiologist didn't know if it was just calcium deposits or some kind of cancerous mass.
they said they weren't too worried, but that the PSE should come back in six months for a follow-up.
if the spots remain the same size and shape the PSE should be good.
if they have grown, then the next step is a biopsy.
but that'll be a problem for March.
for now, the PSE will go on about her business like she probably doesn't have breast cancer.
//[AVAST YE!]
