After an exhausting week of finishing up work, Dr's appointments almost everyday and packing up my belongings, Dad and I left Phoenix on Sunday May 17th at 11:59 a.m. It was 102 degrees in AZ. and when we landed in Pittsburgh it was 57 degrees! What a welcome change that was.
On approach into Pittsburgh it was still light enough outside to see the green rolling hills of western Pa. and I was even able to spot the churchpew bunkers on the 18th fairway at Quiksilver golf course in Midway. Oh, I could hear the putting greens calling out my name!
In Phoenix I received another memorable send off, with many of my co-workers and friends meeting me at the gate with hugs and well wishes for what the future may bring. The bulkhead of the First Class cabin where Dad and I were seated was even decorated with blue and white streamers with a "We Will Miss You" sign attached to the wall as well. Upon landing the First Class flight attendant presented me with a Victoria's Secret Bag and said "This is from your co-workers" I won't reveal the contents of the bag as it is an inside joke from the POC department, but I must say it did make me laugh, and I still do have the original one, so now I have two! The card was very touching as well!
Okay, back to the week of medical appointments. In brief, I had the consultation on Tuesday for the feeding tube, meeting with first the Dr. followed by a dietician/nutrionalist and third by a nurse who gave me an orientation on the feeding tube, how to use and care for it and possible complications. After all three consultations were completed R.N. Laurie Rentz came in and said that Dr. John Dibaise, who I first met with and who told me that he probably would not be doing the procedure because of his schedule, would not only be doing the procedure but that it would be done the following morning at 8:00 a.m. Totally unexpected by me but welcomed just the same. By the way all these appointments were being done at the Mayo Clinic. So needless to say I had to miss work on Wednesday as check in at hospital was set for 6:30 a.m. All went well and I was out of there by 11:00 a.m. I spent the afternoon sleeping off the sedative back at home.
Thursday I had to report back to Mayo Clinic to have follow-up chest X-rays and lab work done as a result of my coughing up blood spell I had the week before, and then on Friday I had to go back again to have the feeding tube checked to make sure all was okay with that. It was then that I was told by Dr. Dibiase that they should've put in a longer feeding tube, as the one they used was too short and did not allow the preferred 1/4 inch of slack between the valve and the skin of the abdomen. Dr. Dibiase said that these type of tubes need to be changed out about every 3 months anyway and a longer one would be swapped out at that time. Well, the following day, when I decided I wanted to eat, I hadn't used the tube yet due to it still being tender from the procedure, I had one heck of a time connecting the tube to the locking valve as it was too tight against my skin and there were and still are 3 suture buttons in place around the valve, keeping the stomach wall pulled up against my abdominal wall. Dad tried unsuccessfully to get it attached as well, and finally, my roommates girlfriend Cathy, after several attempts was finally able to get it in and locked down. We had to do with me lying on my back, and after that I chose to leave it in until I either get the suture buttons out or the whole thing changed to a longer one that give me more flexibility. The fact that it was still tender didn't help any either, but it worked and I've been able to increase my nutritional and liquid intake, which was what I seeking to accomplish.
So that is where things stand for now. Thursday I meet with Dr. Frank Kim, a G.I. specialist to discuss the feeding tube and what to do next and then on Friday I meet with my old friend, Oncologist Dr. Edward Balaban, to see what plan of action he has in store for me. I have had all my medical records from the Mayo Clinic forwarded to UPMC, with the help of my Dad since it is still to painful for me to carry on any conversations of length, so they at least will be up to speed with what I've gone through over the last several months.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention the "Good Luck" get together that was put together at the airport by members of the management team and the POC department. They had set up a "Tom's Tiki Bar" complete with fresh fruit smoothies (Alcohol free), cake and cookies. Many of my "East" co-workers who were on duty came by to wish me the best, along with most of the management team that were also on duty, along with some original America West employees with whom I had worked closely with over the last 2 plus years. I was presented with a plaque recognizing my years of service from 5/5/81 through 5/15/2009, a huge card signed by dozens of my workers and a "Pittsburgh Steelers" themed A-319 model airplane, that also had a brass plaque adorned to the base saying "From your US Airways Family in PHX." It was very touching!
So, needless to say I will spend this week trying to recover from such a hectic week last week before jumping into the next round of whatever is in store for me!
I will update this weekend after my appointments on Thursday and Friday!
Til then,
Love
Tom
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Tube is in!
Okay, after having an afternoon of appointments yesterday, that consisted of consultations with a Dr. of Gastroenterology, Dr. John Dibaise, Registered Nurse Laurie Rentz, Dietician Sherry Tarelton and more lab work, much to my surprise it was decided to implant a feeding tube today at 8:00 a.m.
During my consultation with Dr. Dibaise, I revealed to him that I had previously had a PEG tube, to which he had no knowledge of. Whether this had any bearing on things or not, I don't know, but Dr. Dibaise told me that he probably would not be doing the procedure. By the end of my consultations, not only was the procedure set up for the first thing the following morning, but also that Dr. Dibaise would now be doing the procedure!
During the consultation with R.N. Laurie Rentz, I happened to mention to her the bleeding episode I had experienced the previous day, and she took the info I had given her and went and gave it to Dr. Dibaise. This information lead to a change in not only the type of feeding tube to be used but also the method in which it would be put into place. Originally I was to receive the exact same type of PEG tube I had received in July 2007. This was the one that was inserted down through the throat and pushed outward through the stomach and abdominal wall, and had about 8 to 10 inches of tube hanging out of the mid-section though which the food/liquids could be administered. Effective but very cumbersome and uncomfortable, especially when it came to swinging a golf club!
Because of the swelling in my throat and the bleeding episode, Dr. Dibaise decided instead to use what is called a mini Balloon Button tube. This tube is inserted from the outside in, where an incision is made into the skin and abdominal wall, the tube is pushed into and through the stomach wall, and then a little balloon is filled with water, which is what keeps the tube in place. So, on the outside of the skin, there is only a little valve, probably no bigger than an eraser off a pencil. The feeding tube extension is connected to this valve and locked into place so that food and liquids can be administered, and when finished, removed and the valve capped off until needed next. A weekly check of the balloon is required to make sure that it contains the correct amount of water to prevent the tube from possible slipping out of the stomach, which if that did happen it would have to be reinserted by a nurse. R.N. Laurie Rentz said it was similar to an earring in the ear, where if you were to take the earring out, a hole would still remain and would remain there for quite sometime before closing shut. So this is the same in principle, except I think the hole in the abdomen would close a little more quickly, but not instantaneously. Let's hope I don't have that happen.
So my day began at 5:00 a.m. with a 6:30 a.m. check-in at the Mayo Clinic Hospital. Things went much better this time than last, and surprisingly the 8:00 a.m. procedure was relatively on-time as I was prept and ready to go by 8:05 a.m. and at 8:10 a.m. I received the sedation cocktail, which put me on the dreamland express. The procedure was relatively painless but when I awoke in recovery and for the remainder of the day, I felt like, and even though I never had, I had been shot with a small caliber weapon. R.N. Rentz said that there would be some pain and it would subside over the next 3-4 days, but total healing would take about 8 weeks.
So at least now, I do not have to be concerned about dehydration or not getting enough nutrition, as I now have a secondary way to receive these if I cannot do so orally. That is a huge relief to me!
No more Dr's appointments for the rest of the week except for follow-up with R.N. Rentz or if something else should crop up such as infection, abnormal leakage/oozing. So hopefully my next appointments will be with the Dr's at UPMC back in Pennsylvania.
My last day of work will be this Saturday and then I will go out on FMLA until that is exhausted and then I will continue to stay out on medical leave until fully recovered or the other.
Many "Thanks" once again for the cards, comments in my blog and all the well wishers out there!
I will continue to update as warranted and hopefully my next update will be from my home back in Pa.
Love to all,
Tom
During my consultation with Dr. Dibaise, I revealed to him that I had previously had a PEG tube, to which he had no knowledge of. Whether this had any bearing on things or not, I don't know, but Dr. Dibaise told me that he probably would not be doing the procedure. By the end of my consultations, not only was the procedure set up for the first thing the following morning, but also that Dr. Dibaise would now be doing the procedure!
During the consultation with R.N. Laurie Rentz, I happened to mention to her the bleeding episode I had experienced the previous day, and she took the info I had given her and went and gave it to Dr. Dibaise. This information lead to a change in not only the type of feeding tube to be used but also the method in which it would be put into place. Originally I was to receive the exact same type of PEG tube I had received in July 2007. This was the one that was inserted down through the throat and pushed outward through the stomach and abdominal wall, and had about 8 to 10 inches of tube hanging out of the mid-section though which the food/liquids could be administered. Effective but very cumbersome and uncomfortable, especially when it came to swinging a golf club!
Because of the swelling in my throat and the bleeding episode, Dr. Dibaise decided instead to use what is called a mini Balloon Button tube. This tube is inserted from the outside in, where an incision is made into the skin and abdominal wall, the tube is pushed into and through the stomach wall, and then a little balloon is filled with water, which is what keeps the tube in place. So, on the outside of the skin, there is only a little valve, probably no bigger than an eraser off a pencil. The feeding tube extension is connected to this valve and locked into place so that food and liquids can be administered, and when finished, removed and the valve capped off until needed next. A weekly check of the balloon is required to make sure that it contains the correct amount of water to prevent the tube from possible slipping out of the stomach, which if that did happen it would have to be reinserted by a nurse. R.N. Laurie Rentz said it was similar to an earring in the ear, where if you were to take the earring out, a hole would still remain and would remain there for quite sometime before closing shut. So this is the same in principle, except I think the hole in the abdomen would close a little more quickly, but not instantaneously. Let's hope I don't have that happen.
So my day began at 5:00 a.m. with a 6:30 a.m. check-in at the Mayo Clinic Hospital. Things went much better this time than last, and surprisingly the 8:00 a.m. procedure was relatively on-time as I was prept and ready to go by 8:05 a.m. and at 8:10 a.m. I received the sedation cocktail, which put me on the dreamland express. The procedure was relatively painless but when I awoke in recovery and for the remainder of the day, I felt like, and even though I never had, I had been shot with a small caliber weapon. R.N. Rentz said that there would be some pain and it would subside over the next 3-4 days, but total healing would take about 8 weeks.
So at least now, I do not have to be concerned about dehydration or not getting enough nutrition, as I now have a secondary way to receive these if I cannot do so orally. That is a huge relief to me!
No more Dr's appointments for the rest of the week except for follow-up with R.N. Rentz or if something else should crop up such as infection, abnormal leakage/oozing. So hopefully my next appointments will be with the Dr's at UPMC back in Pennsylvania.
My last day of work will be this Saturday and then I will go out on FMLA until that is exhausted and then I will continue to stay out on medical leave until fully recovered or the other.
Many "Thanks" once again for the cards, comments in my blog and all the well wishers out there!
I will continue to update as warranted and hopefully my next update will be from my home back in Pa.
Love to all,
Tom
Monday, May 11, 2009
It's Final!
Well, after meeting last week with the Oncologist team from the Mayo Clinic, and going over the options available to me, I have decided once again to return to Pittsburgh to resume my care with the team at UPMC in Moon Township.
Once again my decision was driven mostly by the fact that I have no family support out here and it would be asking too much for family members to make periodic/rotational pilgrimages out here to get the support I will be needing.
The Mayo Dr's also saw that I had received my original treatment in Pittsburgh, and it was their assessment that wherever I begin my treatment, than that is where it should end. In other words they didn't want to start treating me and than hand me off to UPMC some weeks or even months after starting. They just didn't think this would be wise from a strategic perspective. Also, after this last week at work, I was able to come to the realization firsthand, that I am not nor probably will ever be 100% again and it wouldn't be fair to my co-workers for them to bear the burden that I would put on them by not being able to perform 100%. So as soon as the Mayo Clinic and UPMC are able to coordinate and agree on a start date for treatment, then that is when I will head home. I hope for that to be sometime this week. I've already packed most of what few belongings I have out here, and several folks from US Airways have graciously offered to drive my car back to Pittsburgh for me. This will take a lot of my Dad, as he and I will now be able to fly back and get home in 4 hours instead of taking 3 days to do the drive.
Eating and drinking continue to be problematic, today's weigh in found me to be below what I was when I graduated high school, some 30 years ago. I tipped the scale at 176.9, at graduation I was 178. Never thought I'd see that again!!!!!!!!!!
Also today I was speaking to a representative on the phone from Fidelity Magellan in regards to my retirement account when my voice became rather gurgurly. I went to clear my throat thinking I would just expel the usual amount of mucous, but it was a rather large amount of blood. It also came from my nose and trachea tube as well. Enough to where I was scared into calling the Mayo Clinic, because I didn't know what was going on. I hadn't eaten anything all day and this was shortly after the noon hour and had only had a few sips of cold water. The Mayo only returned my call once, going over the symptoms and asking if it had subsided, which by then it had. The R.N. with whom I had been speaking, looked over my chart from my last blood work and said she would discuss it with one of the Dr's and get back to me, but alas no one called back. So, maybe no news is good news??????? Sometimes I don't really know what to make of these folks. They have you fill out all these questionnaires, but when something like this happens, they do nothing. I've been afraid to eat or drink anything else for the rest of the day for fear of another session like that, but I did manage half a glass, (large glass) of iced tea, while watching the Penguins lose to the Capitals in overtime at my favorite sports bar, Gallagher's, here in PHX. So far no reprisals!
Tomorrow, I have three appointments with three different specialist at the Mayo Clinic in regards to the feeding tube. These are all labeled as consultations, although all three specialists are all from the same department. I'll say this, I'll be damned if I'm going to pay them three co-pays if they all three say the same thing. Each appointment is separate and they are all on the hour starting at 1:00 p.m.
Once again my decision was driven mostly by the fact that I have no family support out here and it would be asking too much for family members to make periodic/rotational pilgrimages out here to get the support I will be needing.
The Mayo Dr's also saw that I had received my original treatment in Pittsburgh, and it was their assessment that wherever I begin my treatment, than that is where it should end. In other words they didn't want to start treating me and than hand me off to UPMC some weeks or even months after starting. They just didn't think this would be wise from a strategic perspective. Also, after this last week at work, I was able to come to the realization firsthand, that I am not nor probably will ever be 100% again and it wouldn't be fair to my co-workers for them to bear the burden that I would put on them by not being able to perform 100%. So as soon as the Mayo Clinic and UPMC are able to coordinate and agree on a start date for treatment, then that is when I will head home. I hope for that to be sometime this week. I've already packed most of what few belongings I have out here, and several folks from US Airways have graciously offered to drive my car back to Pittsburgh for me. This will take a lot of my Dad, as he and I will now be able to fly back and get home in 4 hours instead of taking 3 days to do the drive.
Eating and drinking continue to be problematic, today's weigh in found me to be below what I was when I graduated high school, some 30 years ago. I tipped the scale at 176.9, at graduation I was 178. Never thought I'd see that again!!!!!!!!!!
Also today I was speaking to a representative on the phone from Fidelity Magellan in regards to my retirement account when my voice became rather gurgurly. I went to clear my throat thinking I would just expel the usual amount of mucous, but it was a rather large amount of blood. It also came from my nose and trachea tube as well. Enough to where I was scared into calling the Mayo Clinic, because I didn't know what was going on. I hadn't eaten anything all day and this was shortly after the noon hour and had only had a few sips of cold water. The Mayo only returned my call once, going over the symptoms and asking if it had subsided, which by then it had. The R.N. with whom I had been speaking, looked over my chart from my last blood work and said she would discuss it with one of the Dr's and get back to me, but alas no one called back. So, maybe no news is good news??????? Sometimes I don't really know what to make of these folks. They have you fill out all these questionnaires, but when something like this happens, they do nothing. I've been afraid to eat or drink anything else for the rest of the day for fear of another session like that, but I did manage half a glass, (large glass) of iced tea, while watching the Penguins lose to the Capitals in overtime at my favorite sports bar, Gallagher's, here in PHX. So far no reprisals!
Tomorrow, I have three appointments with three different specialist at the Mayo Clinic in regards to the feeding tube. These are all labeled as consultations, although all three specialists are all from the same department. I'll say this, I'll be damned if I'm going to pay them three co-pays if they all three say the same thing. Each appointment is separate and they are all on the hour starting at 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Back to work!
Well, after yesterdays appointment with the Palliative Care Dr. who loaded me up with 5 prescriptions, which haven't been filled yet, I returned to work today which ironically was also my anniversary date of hire with Piedmont Airlines. So today I began my 29th year in the airline industry.
It was a tiring day, not so much because of the workload but more because of the pain medications I am currently on. There were spouts throughout the day that I was so fatigued I could hardly keep my head up, but I made it through it. Tomorrow I will try again and I hope that the more I do it the more I'll get accustomed to the 8 hour work day.
Tomorrow I have to go have lab work done before my appointment on Thursday with the Palliative Oncologist and then next Tuesday I have a consultation about the peg tube at 1:00 p.m. So I hope to work Thursday thru Saturday and then take Sunday and Monday off to continue to build up my strength.
My tongue and the back right side of my throat is still sore and problematic when it comes to talking and swallowing, but hopefully the new prescriptions that I'm waiting to have filled will bring me some relief in the very near future.
That's it for now, we'll see what the Oncologist has to say and I'll probably post again on Friday.
Til then!
Tom
It was a tiring day, not so much because of the workload but more because of the pain medications I am currently on. There were spouts throughout the day that I was so fatigued I could hardly keep my head up, but I made it through it. Tomorrow I will try again and I hope that the more I do it the more I'll get accustomed to the 8 hour work day.
Tomorrow I have to go have lab work done before my appointment on Thursday with the Palliative Oncologist and then next Tuesday I have a consultation about the peg tube at 1:00 p.m. So I hope to work Thursday thru Saturday and then take Sunday and Monday off to continue to build up my strength.
My tongue and the back right side of my throat is still sore and problematic when it comes to talking and swallowing, but hopefully the new prescriptions that I'm waiting to have filled will bring me some relief in the very near future.
That's it for now, we'll see what the Oncologist has to say and I'll probably post again on Friday.
Til then!
Tom
Friday, May 1, 2009
A busy day!
Thursday, April 30th was a busy day with 4 appointments at both Mayo Clinic campuses, the Scottsdale Campus and the Phoenix Campus. Fortunately both are equal distances from my home and are relatively close. The first appointment was for a follow-up X-ray of my chest to check and see how my right lung was doing, as in was there any sign of collapsing, followed by an appointment with a new to me, Dr. of Radiology Michelle Halyard.
However, before leaving home I decided to weigh myself since it had been about two weeks since I last weighed myself, and I had gone some 36 hours with nothing but intravenous solutions since shortly before/during and after the biopsy. They would not discharge me from the hospital on Tuesday until I had consumed everything they had given me on my breakfast tray, which consisted of jello, clear broth, some type of fruit juice drink and black coffee. I had all but the coffee. Well, needless to say I was shocked when I weighed in at 183.7 pounds when my last weigh in was recorded at 192.2 pounds! Since my throat was still sore from the biopsy and I had no desire to eat or drink anything I began to seriously consider the consequences of becoming dehydrated and or mal-nourished.
When I met with Dr. Halyard, who by the way told Dad and me that she was originally from Homestead, Pa. - home of Kennywood Park, she had already received and reviewed all of my records from my previous radiation treatments, both the ones in Pittsburgh and the ones in Phoenix, and we went through a pretty thorough question and answer session to make her more familiar with me and my case. I found her to be very pleasant and compassionate. After the interview she performed a physical examination of mouth and neck are and also both right and left axillaries of my upper chest. She concluded that more radiation treatment to either of the two areas would be more detrimental than worthwhile. Mainly because of the amount of treatment already received there, but also due to the fact that the disease had now spread to a wider area and was now below my clavicles in the mediastymun, which is the upper middle chest between the lungs and the heart. Dr. Halyard said that perhaps there would be some type of chemotherapy that might be used in an effort to slow down the progression of the disease but she would leave that determination to her counterparts in Oncology, with whom I have an appointment with next Thursday.
I had then mentioned to Dr. Halyard my rather large loss of weight and discomfort in eating and swallowing and I requested that a feeding tube be re-implanted to prevent the dehydration and mal-nutrition I spoke of earlier. Dr. Halyard said she thought it was good to have a back-up and graciously placed an order for this right then and there in the office. As of this writing I have yet to hear anything as to this procedure being scheduled. Our appointment ended there and it was back to the house for a quick snack, jello and whipped cream and then off to the Phoenix Campus to meet with Dr. Hinni for post surgery follow-up and then meet with the Mayo Clinic Social worker.
The appointment with Dr. Hinni was rather droll, nothing new to add from when I saw him the day after the biopsy, I guess they just want to really make sure you're coherent and absorbing everything they are saying to you. He did offer one suggestion based on his experiences and things he has seen in his career. He said when you think there is nothing more that can be done, "Just give up" He said that he has seen Dr's continue to do more and more and more when there is clearly no chance of survival and he basically said it would be up to me to say "Stop, enough is enough!"
With that I had asked him if he had the results of the chest X-Ray from earlier in the day at the Scottsdale Campus and he was able to access it on his computer and said that everything looked "Perfect". Followed by his staring me in the eyes, as if maybe he were looking for signs of fear or maybe that I didn't "get it", I'm not sure what, but I thanked him for his efforts. He told me to keep in touch and I told him I had a blog. He said he tries to stay off the computer as much as possible and I understood where he was coming from, but he graciously took the blog address and said he would check it out. I told him that I don't update it daily and if he doesn't get to check it out than that was okay, too. At least he has the address. He will be the first Christmas Card I address this December, just to let him know that I'm still around.
With that we met with the Social worker, again nothing big there, a lot of repeating the same information, as if he were trying to fill the time. Maybe I just wasn't prepared with the proper questions to keep him on his toes. Maybe next time I will have more questions to ask. My first time with a Social worker and I wasn't and am still not sure what they can do for you.
So I have the weekend free to start packing up for my trip home and then on Monday I have a Specialty Exam for Palliative Care, followed by Thursdays appointment with the Oncologist and somewhere in between I hope the Peg-tube procedure.
Many "thanks" to one and all who have sent emails to this site or to my personal sight for their expressions of concern and prayer. All are very much appreciated and I draw strength from these and the cards I receive in the mail. They inspire me to do my damnedest not to let anyone of you down, after all the support you've given me!
Love to everyone,
Tom
However, before leaving home I decided to weigh myself since it had been about two weeks since I last weighed myself, and I had gone some 36 hours with nothing but intravenous solutions since shortly before/during and after the biopsy. They would not discharge me from the hospital on Tuesday until I had consumed everything they had given me on my breakfast tray, which consisted of jello, clear broth, some type of fruit juice drink and black coffee. I had all but the coffee. Well, needless to say I was shocked when I weighed in at 183.7 pounds when my last weigh in was recorded at 192.2 pounds! Since my throat was still sore from the biopsy and I had no desire to eat or drink anything I began to seriously consider the consequences of becoming dehydrated and or mal-nourished.
When I met with Dr. Halyard, who by the way told Dad and me that she was originally from Homestead, Pa. - home of Kennywood Park, she had already received and reviewed all of my records from my previous radiation treatments, both the ones in Pittsburgh and the ones in Phoenix, and we went through a pretty thorough question and answer session to make her more familiar with me and my case. I found her to be very pleasant and compassionate. After the interview she performed a physical examination of mouth and neck are and also both right and left axillaries of my upper chest. She concluded that more radiation treatment to either of the two areas would be more detrimental than worthwhile. Mainly because of the amount of treatment already received there, but also due to the fact that the disease had now spread to a wider area and was now below my clavicles in the mediastymun, which is the upper middle chest between the lungs and the heart. Dr. Halyard said that perhaps there would be some type of chemotherapy that might be used in an effort to slow down the progression of the disease but she would leave that determination to her counterparts in Oncology, with whom I have an appointment with next Thursday.
I had then mentioned to Dr. Halyard my rather large loss of weight and discomfort in eating and swallowing and I requested that a feeding tube be re-implanted to prevent the dehydration and mal-nutrition I spoke of earlier. Dr. Halyard said she thought it was good to have a back-up and graciously placed an order for this right then and there in the office. As of this writing I have yet to hear anything as to this procedure being scheduled. Our appointment ended there and it was back to the house for a quick snack, jello and whipped cream and then off to the Phoenix Campus to meet with Dr. Hinni for post surgery follow-up and then meet with the Mayo Clinic Social worker.
The appointment with Dr. Hinni was rather droll, nothing new to add from when I saw him the day after the biopsy, I guess they just want to really make sure you're coherent and absorbing everything they are saying to you. He did offer one suggestion based on his experiences and things he has seen in his career. He said when you think there is nothing more that can be done, "Just give up" He said that he has seen Dr's continue to do more and more and more when there is clearly no chance of survival and he basically said it would be up to me to say "Stop, enough is enough!"
With that I had asked him if he had the results of the chest X-Ray from earlier in the day at the Scottsdale Campus and he was able to access it on his computer and said that everything looked "Perfect". Followed by his staring me in the eyes, as if maybe he were looking for signs of fear or maybe that I didn't "get it", I'm not sure what, but I thanked him for his efforts. He told me to keep in touch and I told him I had a blog. He said he tries to stay off the computer as much as possible and I understood where he was coming from, but he graciously took the blog address and said he would check it out. I told him that I don't update it daily and if he doesn't get to check it out than that was okay, too. At least he has the address. He will be the first Christmas Card I address this December, just to let him know that I'm still around.
With that we met with the Social worker, again nothing big there, a lot of repeating the same information, as if he were trying to fill the time. Maybe I just wasn't prepared with the proper questions to keep him on his toes. Maybe next time I will have more questions to ask. My first time with a Social worker and I wasn't and am still not sure what they can do for you.
So I have the weekend free to start packing up for my trip home and then on Monday I have a Specialty Exam for Palliative Care, followed by Thursdays appointment with the Oncologist and somewhere in between I hope the Peg-tube procedure.
Many "thanks" to one and all who have sent emails to this site or to my personal sight for their expressions of concern and prayer. All are very much appreciated and I draw strength from these and the cards I receive in the mail. They inspire me to do my damnedest not to let anyone of you down, after all the support you've given me!
Love to everyone,
Tom
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