Decisions, Decisions

I met yesterday with the radiologist who will be performing the UFE procedure, and I am feeling a lot more confident about it. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the readers and friends who have phoned, emailed and tweeted me about their experiences with uterine fibroids. You have all been very helpful!

In the course of our discussion, I've learned that the fibroids have grown since I had the CT scan in the spring. "They're both really big," the radiologist said, pointing out the obvious: The larger one is now 10 centimeters - and so big, they were not able to image the entire thing on the MRI. The smaller one has grown to 8 centimeters. Because of their size, their shrinkage may take six months or longer... and, there is a possibility that they might require a second procedure.

"The upper one is so large that there may be additional arteries involved," the doctor explained. "We can't see them now, but after we've had some shrinkage we may be able to see others." Because of its location, he doesn't think I need to worry about the smaller growth... just the monstrous one on top, which is pushing against other organs.

The websites I looked at stated that I could expect an overnight stay in the hospital. My doctor says he keeps his patients in for two and sometimes even three nights. Since I'm told that the first couple of nights are extremely uncomfortable, I'm OK with this.

So now that I'm committed, it's just a matter of waiting for authorization from my insurance company... and then we'll schedule the thing as soon as possible so I can get it over with and get on with life.

So right now, that's the easy decision. If only the work on the house could be as cut and dried! We are stalled again: the new cabinets are beautiful, but need to be finished. Our carpenter referred us to two guys who do wood staining - and their bids were wildly different. We don't feel we can make a decision without a third bid... and are having a hard time finding someone to give one. (We've been very lucky so far with the people who have done the work on the house because we've used people who were referred by friends... we just don't know a lot of people who have had custom cabinetry put in like this.)

In the meantime, I've been busy selecting the countertop. We looked at all the options and while we like the look of some of the new materials available, we're going with granite because of its toughness and its chip-resistant qualities. Both Home Depot and Lowe's have a nice selection, but you can't get an accurate estimate of cost until someone from the store comes out and measures... and you have to pay them $100 for that privilege.

We went through this at the beginning of the kitchen renovation, shelling out $400 to different cabinet providers just so we could get an estimate... and then we went with the fifth guy, who did not charge us to measure. This time around, I compared the deals offered by the two major chains and picked the one that would give us the most for our money: Home Depot, give you a free stainless steel sink (there are three models to choose from) and an edging upgrade. Their guy came in on Friday, which means I should have my estimate today.

I also noticed that Costco is selling home improvement services, too. They have a relationship with a local contractor, who comes to your home with samples, does the measurements (at no charge!) and gives you an estimate on the spot. They also throw in a stainless steel sink, but you don't get a choice.

I was surprised at the quality of Costco's granite AND the low price their guy gave me, so I have a feeling we'll be ordering from them. I did not like the sink they give you. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's a double bowl and I've been thinking I want a single so I can soak an entire roasting pan in it. Fortunately, the Costco price is so inexpensive that I will be able to afford the single-bowl granite sink I've had an eye on.

It will take about three weeks to fabricate the granite - so we have to decide on someone to finish the cabinets soon. THEN we can have the plumber and electrician come back in to re-hook the appliances... after which, we can put in the new floor.

It would be nice to have all of this done before I go into the hospital, but I can't wait any longer - we are nearing the end of the year, and our deductible is likely to go up again. I need to get the procedure done NOW. At least, the recovery period will only be a week or so... and I won't have to deal with being stuck in our shambles of a house for a month or more, as I would with a hysterectomy.