"Here We Go Again"

I'm not sure why I agreed to this but this week I begin a new set of visits to the medical community. I start tomorrow at Victoria hospital with a bunch of interview questions with one doctor, then off to the lab for blood tests, and finally to a different hospital altogether for something called "scintigraphy". I don't know much about it other than it being some kind of a scan which I believe uses a radioactive dye, which they no doubt will stick into me with a needle Then tomorrow I go back again to start a series of injections into the side of my face. In total there will be 3 sets of injections and I believe 6 sets of the scintigraphy scan.

What's it all about? I believe I mentioned it some time ago but I put it off because I was worried about it interfering with my training. I no longer have that excuse. I have agreed to participate in a study in which they take some of my own blood, do some voodooo to it and then re-inject it(platelet rich plasma they call it) into my saliva glands. I believe it is a technique that has been successful with other types of medical conditions and Dr Yoo think's it has possibilities with damaged salivary glands. I'm not so sure but I felt I had to give it a shot. We need to think in possibilities eh? They will only do one of my three main sets of glands at this point because it is only a study. Then if it proves to be useful it will presumably be made generally available.

Wish me luck! I am a little nervous about the needles into the side of my face. Another new experience that sounds painful!

Hey, did I say my one and only Ironman? ....hmmm....

A few personal messages.

1)Bert, I forgot to tell you that I puked my guts out after the race...you would have been proud.
2) Joe, thanks for the beautiful note...what marathon are you doing, but I don't know if I have the courage for it anyway
3) Mark, my brother thinks you need a slap for suggesting I write a book!
4)Cory smarten up!... just in case you need to.

“Given the choice between the experience of pain and nothing, I would choose pain"---William Faulkner

"How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened."---Thomas Jefferson

love
peter