Friday, March 13, 2009

The Corner of My Watering Eye


October 2, 2007

swollen nerves
headaches
MRI

inhaling the word
tumor

Have a nice day!

Thanks. You too.

October 23, 2007

no tumor
no improvement
blackouts

inhaling the words
visual field

October 26, 2007

visual field test
abnormal results
diminished vision

inhaling the word
neurologist

November 5, 2007

neurologist
cerebrospinal fluid
increased pressure

inhaling the words
spinal tap

Ready for Thanksgiving?

Yep. You?

November 16, 2007

spinal tap
pressure too high
six hours

inhaling the words
pseudotumor cerebri

December 10, 2007

pseudotumor cerebri
tunnel vision
possible blindness

inhaling the words
brain damage

How are you?

brain damage

Fine, thanks. And you?

possible blindness

brain damage

One year later

dilations
durations
drugs

inhaling the words
surgery and shunts

December 11, 2008

surgery and shunts
neurologist
concerned expressions

inhaling the words
MRI with contrast

Have you finished your Christmas shopping?

I think so. You?

December 29, 2008

MRI with contrast
vascular MRA
IV needle

inhaling the word
wait

Happy New Year!

Thanks. You too.

February 24, 2009

wait some more
and don’t
ask questions

inhaling the words
hysterical mother

March 12, 2009

hysterical mother
Mommy
Mama

inhaling the words
visual field

March 13, 2009

visual field test

inhaling

What’ve you been up to?

Holding my breath.



© 2009 Marcy Stoeckel

8 comments:

  1. Perfection! How you manage to effectively relay such a complicated process in so few words blows me away. I love this!

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  2. A synthesis of desperate coping. Life goes on. Time stands still. Life never does.

    Oh Marcy. So much talent; too much pain.

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  3. God! I hate doctors! not their fault, but my favorite to blame.

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  4. Thank you all for the comments.

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  5. Marcy,

    This post drained me. Life continues in such trivial ways while some families, some family members, live in intense fear. I've sadly found no great spiritual awakening, no awe-inspiring sense of comfort - just desperate clinging - in times like you describe here. You've captured how cold, foreign medical terms become intimate, if still cold. You've captured how life continues for the rest of the world. You've captured fear.

    I'm drained. Words have such power, don't they?

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  6. 'Drained' is a word I understand. I suspect that's what fear does best: it drains you.

    Thank you, Bryan.

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  7. i came by the recommendation of Bryan. i must say that every word he gave is true and not even one letter out off the place.

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  8. We're still out here, waiting for your triumphant return. :)

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