So the appointment phone call chain begins. My first I call Mass General North I had to give a screener person my entire story, Dr. T. Best's name, the two doctors I would like to see, and get my name on a list for the appointment person to call me back. The med. oncologist scheduler called me back right away and set up an appointment with my requested doctor. However, she could not schedule the radiation oncologist, and another person would call me back for that appointment. When the rad. oncologist appointment person called to schedule, she put me with another doctor, not the one requested by Dr. T. Best. Her reason for the switch in doctors was confusing, some reason about being in the clinic, or not in the clinic. I very nicely explained that I wanted to see the recommended doctor and asked what would it take to see this person. I also asked if it would be easier if Dr. T. Best called the recommended doctor, and she emphatically said no, and she would call me right back. Guess what? I got the doctor that was recommended, and more importantly that I wanted to see. I have a feeling the Dr. T. Best can wield a big stick - at least dropping her name got me to where I wanted to go. I know, it is all confusing - thank God I was off the meds or who knows what would have been scheduled!
I learned in this medical business that you must keep gently pushing, be patient, be nice, and eventually you will get what you want.
On June 17 I have an appointment to meet with the medical oncologist and radiation oncologist at Mass General on the North Shore. These two people will decide what kind of chemotherapy I will be taking, and how much radiation I will need. To me, chemotherapy sounds like something only other people, or other families experience. It is strange that I will actually be having chemotherapy. I am a little scared - not about the hair loss, but about the nausea and throwing up stuff. As I mentioned before, I was nauseous the entire time in the hospital just from pain medication. I must completely recover from the operation before the chemotherapy begins. (Chemotherapy is first, radiation second.) The way I feel right now, I would welcome chemotherapy because it would mean that I am over this feeling crappy from the operation. I'm hoping it will begins around the second week of July.
Yep, I still feel yucky from the operation. I still have two drains, with the hopes of having them removed on Monday. The output must diminish to a certain level before they can come out. One is ready, but unfortunately the other one is still producing almost twice the amount required for removal. I have a constant, manageable pain level of about 2/3. I tire unbelievably quick. Other than that, all is good.
Oh yeh, I've become nocturnal again. I told my neighbors that I am officially the neighborhood watch captain! The last few nights I have watched a lot of thunder and lightening. It was so fun- we never got weather like this in California.
Whacky thought for the day...
I have the coolest 80-something Godmother. She sent me the funniest card:
Outside reads: "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade."
Inside reads: "But when life hands you a load of crap, don't make anything."
Happy Birthday Courtany! Yikes-21!
Congratulations CSUS Graduate Brittany!
Glad you pushed for the best Keval. My stepfather's doc is a MGH in Boston and he wielded a big stick to get him treatments at the NS MGH. He has prostrate cancer and will begin 8 weeks of radiation...Sending good thoughts.
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Hello Keval... gosh I got a funny story to tell you when I had my drain tube after my mastectomy.. I am going to tell it to you, well, I guess all of you!!I got home from the hospital, with the two boys, little guys at the time, so glad to be home, but tired. I took a nap, and I woke up to this terrible sucking air sound, that scared the !@#!@# out of me!!!! I got all panicky and couldn't figure out what it was, well my drain tube had come disengaged.. and I didn't know how to put it back on, thinking it was a difficult task , like re-sucking the air out, or whatever.. so I called the Dr. in a panic.. and was pretty hysterical on the phone saying I didn't know what to do, they said , "Calm down, just plug it back in" I said,"What, it's that simple, don't I have to do something else?" They said,"No, just plug it back in." Viola' I did, and it was fine. Afterwards, I just started cracking up, something so simple, and I was trying to make it harder than what it was!!LOL I still laugh today. Hang in there girl.. thinking about you.
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