Today has not been the best day ever. I had an appointment with my doctor today, ostensibly to follow up on the high cholesterol and low thyroid levels. And while those were discussed, ending with a three month extension on lowering the cholesterol and a referral to an endocrinologist, the big news came from an MRI. I had the MRI done to find out why I hear my pulse in my ear all the time. Sure, everyone hears it at one point or another, but I'm pretty sure it's abnormal to hear it constantly over the course of a year (or more, my record-keeping has never been good). The MRI didn't turn up anything that would cause a pulsing sound. However, something else didn't turn up. I have an empty sella turcica. Meaning, I seem to be missing my pituitary gland. From what I can remember of 9th grade Biology, the pituitary controls and regulates the hormones in one's body. It is the pituitary that tells the body when development should start occurring. Considering I developed right on time, or even earlier, I don't understand how this could have happened. So needless to say, I have a referral to a neurologist.
Now, I realize this kind of news is upsetting to most people. They react adversely, to say the least. I, on the other hand, seem to have developed a keener sense of levity than I had realized. My first reaction was bewilderment, then acceptance, then mom and I started joking about it. The family says "I have no brain" as a reason for the stupid things I say or do. (Which believe me, have been unaccountably numerous today. I'm just not on today.) My friends have taken to affectionately referring to me as "half brain." None of this bothers me. I say I'm suffering from "hole in the brain." Interesting how levity works, isn't it? It makes me wonder if I would have been capable of this amount of levity a few years ago. Maybe I've always had it, but never had a need to apply it. Who knows. All I know is, I have a hole in my brain and I'll keep laughing about it til I die.
16 years ago
