The breast conference at Northwestern (which is a team of all the different cancer treatment professionals, surgical oncologists, oncologists, radiation oncologists and maybe someone else I am missing). anyway, they came back and suggested that I meet with their radiation oncologist. I am not sure why I am seeing him. Ken and I joked, perhaps he needs to redo the porch on his summer home.
I asked the nurse who called me with the news, why do I need to see the radiation oncologist? She said because you are so young. Not too sure what that means. Then I asked what was left to radiate? I mean they took off both breasts, right? She said there is still some tissue there, they can never get it all. She suggested I needed to see the radiation oncologist before I started chemo. I was devastated. I had just scheduled to start Monday and was feeling like I was getting on with my life. Such as it is right now anyway.
So for the last 48 hours I have played phone tag with nurses to get the radiation oncologist to see me. They have all been very pleasant but I feel like I have been playing a bit of the old kids game "telephone." Leondra tells me one thing from Dr. B, she says she will call Chris the other doctor's nurse to try to get me in quickly. No call back the next day. So I call Chris and ask if she has heard from Leondra? But Chris is another doctor's nurse and she doesn't know what is going on. So then I get to the right nurse, Rita. And she doesn't know what is going on. She says she will talk to Dr. S first thing Thursday. Wouldn't you think these brilliant folks would coordinate this better? I mean Dr. B talked to Dr. S on Monday at the breast conference and Dr. S. agreed to see me. And supposedly they agreed on the terms or the urgency, you would think. And Leondra called me Tuesday evening. Couldn't Dr. S have told his nurse, call Michele, get her in sometime this week. But no, it goes from Dr. B to his nurse to me, to my calling Dr. H's nurse to her calling the other nurse to her talking to Dr. S. No wonder everyone is confused! It is confusing.
All this time I am sweating about changing the chemo dates/times for the next three months. I have looked at the schedule and started to internalize it. These are the weeks I'll be better able to work. These other weeks are the weeks I'm likely to be sickest. I have scheduled a couple of visits with clients and team members around these dates. I have looked at President's Day weekend and fantasized about going away with Ken and Adam. I wait.
Then Thursday I get a call back from Leondra, she was sick Wednesday. Ok, no problem. Then she tells me that she spoke to Dr. B further. I should go ahead and start the chemo even if the doctor can't see before. Lucky me, they can do chemo and radiation at the same time if they need to. Just what my body needs. In addition, I can see any of the three radiation oncology doctors if I want. I would rather see the one who heard about my case and discussed it already. Even if it means I have to wait.
I sit back and fifteen minutes later the phone rings. It is Dr. S's nurse, they don't expect me to come out in the blinding snow storm today. He will take some time from his research day on Friday to see me. Thankfully.
So we will see what this brings.
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