Too Sweet
I’m one of those who wasn’t very fond of regular doctors visits. As a matter of fact I think that by 1997 I had racked up about 10 years of doctor free living and was pretty comfortable with that.
That all changed in 1997 when I decided that I was going to learn how to fly. Well, one of the things that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires for all private pilot priveleges is that we pass a medical exam. As I worked closer to what I felt would be my solo date I made arrangements for my physical with a local approved doctor.
The exam went along well until we found out that one of the tests indicated that my blood glucose level was very high. I flunked the physical, but ended up having a glucose tolerance test that day and a new doctor. The diagnosis was type II diabetes.
With his help we stablized my blood sugar and after 5 months of testing and reports to the FAA I received my very first FAA medical certificate.
Strange Mole
At my age I was required to renew my medical every two years and I was already having regular checkups. As we approached a checkup just before my required renewal date my doctor found a “funny looking” mole on my back. He arranged for an appointment the next morning with a dermatologist.
The dermatologist was pretty straightforward and a man of few words as he examined the mole. He told me he was doing a local removal and was going for biopsy.
A week later I received the news that it was Stage I melanoma and an appointment was made for a Wide Local Excision (WLE).
After the WLE in a local surgeons office I was received a referal to the Sub Cuteaneous Clinic at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center in Boston where I was placed in the control arm of an ongoing trial of Interferon.