Sarcoidosis is granuloma disease

And I've got it!

It's rare. 
It's really rare. If I understand the doc correctly who diagnosed me with it this morning only 200,000 people in the States have been diagnosed with it.  He either didn't tell or told and I didn't catch how many people here in Japan have been diagnosed with it.  I know it's at least one though.  Lucky me!

No really. Lucky me! I'm not being the least bit facetious. It was all I could do to out-bow Dr. Takahashi as I was backing away from his desk and out the door to return to the waiting room after he diagnosed me with it this morning. I bowed and told him how grateful I was for all the time he spent figuring out what he found in me during my annual physical last month. 

Since I'm getting up there in years--52 this past August but still going on 15--I, per my wife's suggestion, ordered a physical with the works this year.  I've been getting one every year since hitting 40, which is normal for folks in this land. Ever since hitting 40, once a year around my birthday, I go in for blood work and pee test, chest x-ray and drink the barium x-ray the belly for cancer check, eyes and cholesterol and etc and so on--basically a thorough if ya got something bad they'll probably find it kind of yearly check up.  The town makes it easy for absent minded dopes like me to remember by sending me notice to get it every year too. As always it's my choice where to get it. Yes it's true. Those "Oh the horrors of socialized medicine" emails and talking head idiots you see on the 'Mercan TV show that pretends to be news are lying to you. I choose where to go; it's fast and efficient and way cheaper than healthcare for profit. I've experienced both systems I know this from experience. Nuff said. 

So last month it was the works. I got the camera up the wazoo and another camera down the throat. At least I hope it was a different camera, or at least that they washed it between pulling it out of my ass and shoving it down my throat.  Yikes!  Then I got ultrasound on my kidneys and liver and what all else I'm not sure to check for tumors. Blood work and pee test to check for all sorts of nasty stuff as usual and this time instead of chest x-ray we opted for a CT scan on my lungs. That's the background info: this story pretty much starts there. 

It was my first time going to Dr. Takashi for my annual physical. My wife suggested I go to him in part because he found an eensy weensy tiny little tumor in a friend of ours and likely saved his life by doing so. Word has it that the docs who operated on him at the big hospital were amazed that this doctor at a small town clinic spotted a tumor so small.  Thus I chose to go to him too.

I went a month or so before the physical to get all lined out and pick up my food package. Part of the camera up the wazoo test is getting strict instructions on what to eat (or not to eat) in the days just prior to the test along with prepackaged special food to eat the final day and bag of just add water make ya poop your brains out juice to drink the morning of the exam. So I got all that and followed directions to the letter. 

Side note about that make ya poop a lot juice. It's a bag of some kinda powder that you fill with water, dang near 2 liters of it, and drink drink drink till it's all gone the morning of the test. I started doing this as soon as I got home from teaching my sole morning class that day. The test coincided with the beginning of my remodel living room ceiling project so I thought what the heck I can pull a few more pieces of sheetrock off the ceiling since I got a couple more hours till I'm due at the clinic. Warning: Do not go above the third rung of the ladder after drinking a bunch of make ya poo juice! The first few times I felt it coming and made it to the toilet in time no problem. After that the warning sensation in the sphinctor preceded it giving way to whatever was coming out by mere seconds. I won't go on any longer about that than to say I really do NOT recommend climbing too high on a ladder after drinking much of that stuff. 

So it was off to the doc and got the test and now that I've added more background info after stating it was done I'll get back to telling about today.  

 Basically Dr. Takahashi saw an anomaly while doing and then reviewing the CT scan of my lungs during my physical. A medical technician who reviewed the CT scan results came to the same conclusion that he did so they researched and double checked and after what I can only assume, based on all the information he told, was a fair amount of time researching this extremely rare disease, he diagnosed me with it.  Sarcoidosis.  

Thus today I went back in per his recommendation to get my eyes and heart checked, and boy did they every check! The eye exam went fairly quickly just that dark room high resolution picture of the eye exam and that was that. Then came the heart. They hooked me to wires head to toes in one test, more chest x-rays followed that and then off to another room where a technician spent a good 30 minutes or longer doing ultrasound on my heart from every conceivable angle recording sounds and images and what all else I can only imagine. 

Good news is my eyes and heart all checked out fine. Bad news is that doesn't mean I don't have Sarcoidosis. I've got it. It's a rare disease and I've got it.  Then again that's not really all that bad of news. No, not that bad at all. Again, it's "Lucky me!" 

Lucky me because it's not life threatening for one, but even more so "Lucky me" because the only reason I know I've got it is because of the preventative health care system that is here in Japan.  So yeah it's a rare disease and the cause remains unknown. I'm adding a picture I took while waiting (waiting all of 3 minutes tops) between tests today. Click to expand Dr. Takahashi is about as awesome as people come. He went out of his way to look type it up in English for me (again Docs are seriously busy in these parts but the dude wanted to be sure I understood his diagnosis so I came home with English translations and copies of the images of my heart and lungs and all sorts of stuff) Basically what I've got is printed on the paper in my hand in the image there--tiny little granulomas in my lungs that my immune system is fighting.  It can be life threatening in very rare cases, thus him wanting to check the hell out of my heart and eyes, but that checked out so it's not in me. And now I know there's something so obviously I'll follow his advice and return for periodic checkups to see if there's been any changes but I'm not too worried about it.  

So again, seriously, Lucky ME! Just an average schmo who somehow gets top of the line health care fit for a king.  What I love best about it is EVERYONE gets the same. I pay a bit more now that our little English school has grown. By paying more I'm helping someone not as well off receive the same level of care that I get. I'm okay with that. Still even now with paying more than I used to when making less, all of today's tests and the full on physical combined barely topped $200 if that. Thousands of dollars of tests easily back in the States for two Ben Franklins. Un-freak'n-believable. Why? Because I'm so affluent and such a high class guy?  No. The treatment I got for the price that I got it is the same that everyone gets. 

It's funny really. Ironic even methinks, that good hearted church-going people I know back in home sweet USA home will pray to the lord to heal him and her and those other ones--friends and neighbors and family--of their afflictions one day, only to turn around and vote for politicians who rail against healthcare systems like I have access to here the next day.  I can't help but imagine Jesus shaking his head and thinking "Why don't you nincompoops spend a little less time praying and a little more using use your dagburned brains to vote for people who'll enact better health care legislation if you want him and her and those other ones to be healthy!" 

At least I think He'd say something like that based on what I've read about the dude. He was big on healthcare for all. I'm certain of that much and will debate it with anyone. And win. Hands down. 

But back to the system here. It's far from perfect. I have the privilege of teaching and editing medical research for some doctors so I'm close enough to some to know they're overworked and have other problems with healthcare here.  That said they do their best to provide the same level of healthcare for all. Yes, say it with me now, it's that dreaded "S" word...

Socialized medicine.  
And thanks to the way it is I know now, as of this morning, that I have Sarcoidosis.  
It's my word of the day. Say it with me now. 
Sarcoidosis! 
I know I've got it thanks to a way cool super neat good at what he does and good people all around doctor who took the time to investigate what he saw in my test.  No treatment is needed. It may even go away on its own. I'll know when I go back in for a checkup in a few months per his suggestion. 

Preventative medicine.  Good stuff. I hope and pray my fellow citizens of home sweet America home--all of them--get the same one day.