Skip to main content

the call before the storm


Slam Dunk!



I'm driving yesterday to my first chemo, ready to get it started, when I get a call from my nurse at the Cancer & Hematology. After pleasantries, she said:

 "So, I was reading through your chart and saw that Dr. Lynch wanted your scans done before treatment began.So it looks like we need to delay it's start. Are you on your way here?"

 Okay, now it's your turn to guess which was the correct response:

 A.  "Well, Alecia, that scan was not approved by insurance until just a couple days ago partially because your office didn't follow up to get it approved. But we can wait, because the delay was out of the ordinary and I don't have an aggressive, fast growing cancer. Will next Thursday work better?"

 B. "WTF?? (for my kinder gentler readers that stands for Well That's Fine) I'm three minutes out and we're getting this done today!! I'm not delaying because parties related to this treatment that aren't me my husband or my doctors couldn't get their s*** together (kinder gentler readers that stands for stuff, just add another asterisk) and get the scan scheduled earlier this week or last! Get the supplies ready because I'm pulling in to the parking lot. Looking forward to seeing you soon."

 C.  "Well Alecia, I'm in fact almost there and beyond ready to start this treatment. I remember the conversation with Dr. Lynch and she said that we could start the treatment before the scans, though not ideal, it wouldn't hurt to begin. It just might mean a different sort of chemo. Right? So, I'm ready to begin and will be there momentarily."

 The correct and condensed version was C. Though quite honestly A and B were both plausible because the facts presented are correct; though the tone of A was far too timid/kind even for me and in B, I only swear after a glass or two of wine or at crazy drivers or anyone that harms my children or hubby.

 As it was, the chemo proceeded as planned. Alecia and I overcame initial awkwardness and found some common ground. She'd consulted with the oncologist on duty, and he confirmed that it would be best to start the chemo and if the scan showed any metastasis, it would just change the dosage and timing.

 So after four hours, I returned home - no side effects and loaded with prescriptions to hopefully tamper any of the more likely, unpleasant ones. I also got a Nuelasta thingy that will inject meds to boost my white blood counts - it will inject at 27 hours post treatment (tonight at 7:30!). I won't post video because it's attached to my abdomen and that hasn't seen the sun in many, many years and still bears the stretch marks of three pregnancies. Now you realize that you really DON'T want to see it!! 

 Next chemo, if scans and next week's blood counts are okay, will be February 7.
One down, three of these to go!!

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

It's not a popularity contest, but ...

When a small town is huge

  In the movie "it's a Wonderful Life", the protagonist George Bailey has longed nearly his whole life to 'shake off the dust of this crummy little town off my feet," to see the world. But Bedford Falls, that crummy little town, felt differently about George. And with the help of a quirky guardian angel, George eventually sees that his life and his town were pretty wonderful. Good lord, but I love that movie and it's characters and it's moral and that small town. I watch it every year at least twice and still cry every time. And I wonder too about the man that pushes the devious Mr. Potter's wheelchair and stands by his side- you know the man, he looks a little like Lurch from "The Addams Family". I wonder, what was he thinking as he listened and watched his boss ruin the lives of everyone he could. What kind of an Non-disclosure agreement did he sign, to keep him silent as he stood by and watched Potter pocket the money Uncle Billy was depo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Parenting

I just read a post on Facebook regarding the dearth of parenting. The poster was describing a scene where two young girls were pelting rocks at some ducks in our little town and how he observed no parents around telling these girls that it was wrong to torture little innocent animals. Within hours, there were 15 responses - all alluding to a lack of parenting that is evident nearly everywhere today. Stick with me here - because that conversation reminded me of one I'd had recently that might not seem related to parenting at all. It was with my oldest son about his concern about the selfishness of our culture - most recently evident in the Wall Street meltdown. He believes that we are too focused on "Me" and not enough on "We" and if we had a little more focus on the total and just not our part, we would be in a much better place. Still there? Okay, here's the cement that will hold this together - those girls pelting little ducks with rocks weren't likely...
Post a Comment
Read more

When you encounter a totally different reality

John and I arrived early for an appointment (for those of you that know my husband, you know that this is not infrequent! The story of arriving three hours early for a flight to Phoenix from Midway still gets repeated and laughed about when the 'kids' get together). We found a seat and the waiting room began to fill. We had chosen seats away from the TV where NBC's Today Show was playing, so we couldn't see what was on the screen. Another couple sat before the TV and provided commentary and as the time progressed provided a glimpse into a total different 'reality'. "Oh I can't even stand to look at him. He's so evil" "What is wrong with his hair?" "This administration will do down in history as the worst ever." "The federal government is taking over the states. There's going to be a civil war, just you wait." "They just let all those illegal aliens in and then they're going to give them weapons to take...
1 comment
Read more