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1-26-05/Wednesday
As you have read I have been suffering nausea the last week or so, Saturday morning what I thought was nausea turned to
stomach pain. I called the hospital and explained the symptoms and they directed me to my local emergency room. Due to the
weather I had to wait until Sunday morning. The local E.R. talked with my hospital and they wanted me in the Boston hospital.
Upon my arrival I was admitted to the E.R., checked up and down , then set up with an antibiotic. When I finally got to the
my room where I was to be admitted on Monday anyway, I was again given the once over and they had no suggestions on the source
of pain. Finally 13 hours after the trip to my local E.R. I begged them to give me something to make me comfortable. They
tried one drug that did nothing, then they tried another . Finally relief.
Monday I was scheduled for a P.E.T. scan at an outside facility due to the fact that the the hospital scanner was booked
until friday. Seeing how I was admitted early the hospital won't let you get treated at an outside facility while you are
an inpatient due to liability. The hospital P.E.T. scan is for outpatient use only based on insurance coverage or billing
reasons. Thank god for the for my Dr's care strength and willingness to pull for me but I have been the only not only to receive
1 but 2 P.E.T. scans as an inpatient ever at Beth Irael.(Thank you Dr Joyce)P.E.T. scans are a new hybrid type of scanner
( similar to a CT scanner) that gives doctors s a real clear view of tumors. Then off for a CT Scan of my belly.
Late Monday evening the doctors came in to explain their findings. The tumor in my nose has shrunk from a seventeen to
a ten, which they say is good. The tumor in my in my neck is all they thought it would be about where it was at the very start
of treatment. The absolute worst altogether news is the cancer has spread once again, this time to my liver.
Today Wednesday we had hoped to start chemo, I am not sure why we haven't but they assure me it will be tomorrow if not
tonight. I have been running fevers and doing radiation so they do have a safe guess I will be getting very sick. We have
to hope these plans work because the next option is to try to get some experimental drug from the American Cancer Society
that sounds like it could work. The doctor is not sure she can get this drug so the might have to send me to the drug.
Last night I met with my Dr. about my thoughts on seeking treatment elsewhere, as we are not happy that the cancer has
spread. Our thoughts are that if I had a primary oncologist that saw me daily that we would and could have caught this spread
sooner. She gave me a thousand good reasons to continue treatment here but said she would gladly facilitate any shift I wanted
to make . Her feeling is I would be making a big mistake going to a community hospital. I would get the daily Dr care I want
but the doctors would not have a handle on the rare mutated cancer. She also suggested Dartmouth Hitchcock, a great teaching
hospital who could grasp the scope of my cancer but that would entail constantly dealing with the many new and different faces
of doctors and interns which is one of the reasons that I'm uncomfortable with it here.
In short she made it very clear that I might not survive this disease no matter how she treats me, but feels that an institution
such as this would certainly be a great advantage.
*Late change- I am receiving my chemo at 6:30 this evening
**My room # is 1-617-667-6565
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