I'm Not A Monster

Marilee has a new term for me.

She just said "I've created a monster."

I was just commenting on a peculiar abnormality that occurred after my spinal surgery - I've been having trouble swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia. Not during the healing process, but afterwards, as this snippet from a health journal in Ireland explains (the italics are my emphasis):

"Dysphagia is a common complication of anterior cervical surgery, with potentially serious respiratory complications. The available literature suggests that symptoms may be prolonged for several weeks or more in a substantial number of patients. This report suggests that the initial post operative dysfunction resolves as early as ten days post operatively and that following this, a different pattern develops related to the position of the neck. Flexion of the neck at this stage will reduce the pressure on crico-pharyngeus and also facilitates swallowing by improving aryepiglottic closure and tongue base retraction."

I'm not having difficulty breathing, just swallowing. Feels like there's something there, but I just can't pinpoint it.

As far as diagnosis, x-rays and MRI's aren't conclusive in finding the problem, but esophageal manometry will be used for the testing.

So I'd just explained all of that to Marilee, and as I'd turned away to do something else, she made that monster comment. Rather than attack the subject directly, I commenced the above monograph.

Just a moment - I'll ask her now what she meant by that quip:

Says she: "I'M the medical person."

"And in that fantasy world, what does that make me?"

"You're the computer person. Stick to what you know best."

Hm.

You know, she's right. In THIS fantasy world, I know to keep my big mouth shut.