because we don't have enough stress in our lives

Nothing like find a lump where there ought not to be lumps to get one's imagination running wild. Last Friday I took the lump to my GP who sent me to ultrasound on Tuesday (yes, it was hard to sleep over the weekend).

"It doesn't have the typical appearance of cancer." Huge sigh of relief.

"It also doesn't have the typical appearance of a lymph node." Hmmmmm . . .

Just to be absolutely sure, I'll have a Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) done later this week or early next week. The Doc at the ultrasound office says it looks like a strangely inflamed lymph node.

It just so happens that another part of my body is showing strange inflammation: my hands. They are getting knobby and painful and behaving just like hands with rheumatoid arthritis. I am 44 years young, thank you very much, and my hands have no business doing this. Neither do the rest of my joints which are routinely painful.

I saw my doc two weeks ago about this, back when only two knuckles were involved. I got an appointment for a rheumatologist for four weeks hence (two weeks from now). In just two weeks, all my other fingers have joined the knobby-ouchy party. So when I heard the words "strange inflammation" from the ultrasound doc, I marched straight over to the rheumatologist, splayed my ouchy digits on the counter and said "I'm scared. This is coming on so quickly and other parts of my body are acting up."

The (prissy) receptionist said, "Blah blah long wait, blah blah, doc is very busy, blah blah."

The doctor -- who had been walking through reception when I plead my case -- said "work her in today or tomorrow."

YEAH. So I see him today. Not real sure what to hope for. Something that requires a long vacation in the hot sun would be fine.