So, the dissertation is done and mostly turned in. I still have to deliver the two printed copies to our department’s secretary — one for my external reader and one for the grad studies office to put on display in case anyone wants to make objections. I found out yesterday morning that the results of my fasting test were not good. I have fasting hypoglycemia, which is a secondary diagnosis. There’s always an underlying cause. If I were diabetic, it would mean that I was taking too much insulin. But since I’m not on any medications, it means something is wrong with my liver or with my pancreas. If it’s my pancreas, then I likely have a tumor of some kind, and the only good news there is that the tumors are unlikely to be cancerous. The bad news is that one type of tumor could involve losing all or part of my pancreas, which would significantly alter my life expectancy and make me dependent on insulin, artificially produced digestive enzymes, and several medications for the rest of my life. Because of my status in Canada, I can’t undergo further testing or treatment here, so I will be heading to the Cleveland Clinic soon, possibly even on Monday if things can be arranged that quickly.
What are the next steps? They might repeat the fasting test or try to do a longer one. I don’t see that working out though because I barely made it to 22.5 hours, and my glucose was 25 mg/dl at that point. It should have been 50 or higher, and I was definitely entering the seizures/coma/brain damage zone. Typically the test is done in the hospital and is 72 hours, with them taking glucose/insulin measurements on a regular basis. It is likely that they will do some internal imaging with a tiny camera to see if they can spot tumors on my pancreas, and I’m assuming there will be a full blood panel. I also realize that my NASA health insurance will be largely useless — I’m assuming that Blue Cross will not cover expenses relating to a pre-existing condition. So, I will be talking to my parents about how to extend my Dutch health coverage, which is quite expensive, but also comprehensive and ready to pay 100% for things like the Cleveland Clinic. Somehow, I’m supposed to prepare for my defense in the midst of all of this.
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Wow, that doesn’t sound good, but at least it looks like they are closing in on a cause. I hope everything goes well for you at the Cleveland Clinic. My thoughts will be with you.
Congrats on finishing the dissertation. I found it hard enough to finish mine when I was healthy and I can only imagine how challenging it must have been for you. Best of luck for the defense.
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