“Sorry.” She set the device carefully on the tray and pulled off her gloves.
I asked, “What do you think?” as best I could with drug-numbed vocal cords.
“You have a little growth there. I think it’s likely just an inflammatory polyp. Those need to be removed, but recovery is usually straightforward. However, it’s a bit irregular so, just to be safe, we should do a biopsy.”
“How?” I ignored the wash of fear that went through me.She said, “Just to be safe.” You’re fine.
“I use a different endoscope that’s a little bigger, so I can feed a small grabber down the channel and take a tiny chunk or two.”
“Bigger?” I put a hand to my nose where numbness and irritation combined in annoying ways.
She chuckled. “You’ll be—”
The exam room door popped open and a nurse stuck her head in. “Dr. French? Steven’s bleeding again.”
“Crap.” She bounced to her feet and turned to the nurse who’d been assisting. “Tanya, set up a recheck appointment for Mr. Marsh for an endoscopic biopsy.” She squeezed my shoulder in passing. “Don’t worry too much. It’s likely just routine.” Her sneakers thudded on the floor as she rushed out.
I blinked in confusion at the nurse. Tanya gave me a smile and wheeled the tray out of the way. “All right, let’s look at the schedule.” She sat in front of the computer terminal. “Oh, look, Dr. French has a cancellation two weeks from tomorrow. What do you think?” She angled the screen toward me.
I didn’t have to get out my phone and check to wheeze a groan. “I can’t. I’m performing that weekend.” Rocktoberfest was the one thing I couldn’t shift. “Is there something else?”
“Three weeks later. That puts us into the second week of November.”
“I thought you guys weren’t too busy.”
She laughed. “That was last week. Our appointments have been filling up fast, as people hear we can do better than the usual delay. Another few weeks and we’ll be booked as far out as everyone else. Do you want November fifteenth?”
“Yes, I’ll take it.” I made note of the date and time. “It’s probably better to do that after my performance anyhow, right? Do I have to not talk or something after the biopsy?”
“No, you should be fine. Like today, no eating or drinking for an hour afterward until the topical anesthetic wears off. Occasionally the biopsy spots bleed a bit but it should be very minor. Probably smart not to shout or sing loudly for a couple of days after.”
That made me feel better about not running back for the test two days before my performance. No way did I want to hold back on this maybe-last big show. “Okay. I’ll see the doc in a month, then.”
“You’ll get a confirmation of the biopsy date by email and text, and we can send a postcard.”
“Hell, do all the things.” I didn’t think I’d forget, but once in a while, I pulled some bonehead mistake and wondered if premature senility was rushing up on me. Reminders never hurt.
“I have you in the system. You can head on out. We’ll bill you for today. Remember, nothing by mouth for an hour.”
“Right. Thanks.”
The early October weather had taken a turn toward cool and gray, with rain threatening. I zipped up my hoodie as I headed for the bus. The wind ruffled my hair and I unfolded my second-best beret from my pocket, crammed it on my head, and pulled the hood over it. I wasn’t gettingbald. Not really. Just a little thin on top, and I didn’t like the chill. Too many years living in LA. I paused to wonder how I’d handle an Iowa winter.
I’ll have Lee to keep me warm.The thought made me smile.
Speaking of… I’d promised to call as soon as I was out of the appointment. Having someone worry about me was a new feeling, and I was both warmed and a bit hedged-in by it. One of the few pluses when I was facing my trial was doing it alone, no one else to worry and be tense and afraid, no one to put on a brave face for, no one who was pained or ashamed by what I’d done. If I’d been with Lee then… I couldn’t decide if the hugs would’ve been worth putting him through all that.Probably not.
Lee answered on the second ring. “Yeah? What did she say?”
“She thinks I have a polyp. Something inflammation. Might need surgery to remove it later but I have to not sing after that, so I’m not rushing to do it.”
“She didn’t mention tumor or cancer?”
His voice had cracked on the words, so I hedged a bit. “She said recovery should be straightforward.”
“Did she biopsy it?”
“Not today. Might do that in the future.” That was another little fudge, but I would tell him when the date got closer. He’d been freaking out all the last week, and a month of that would kill both of us.
