Vorlon Whispers

12/3 Midday Update

I just returned from the oncologist. I found out they’re going to give me three treatments, do a scan (I presume CAT) and depending on the results repeat the three treatments then scan cycle. The treatments are on a three-week and my next treatment is next Wednesday. I have entered the appropriate dates into my Palm so I can now better plan my schedule.

While there I thought I would butter him up a bit and told him he was highly recommended by the people I have spoken with. This is flatly true. Everyone I talk to says very good things about him, when they hear his name. I told him Vineland is a small town and everyone knows everyone else. Again this is largely true. I like to give a person a high standard to live up to.

The oncologist listened to my lungs with deep breaths and then tapped me on the back and front like he was testing for a ripe melon. He said I sounded good. I told him, I could have told him that. After living with the fluid on my left lung for three months and now realizing what was going on, I am a little more attuned to what’s going on with me.

I asked him if my fever could have been a result of the flu shot the day before I started chemo. He said that is a possibility. When I asked his nurse the same question a couple of days ago, she flatly ruled that out. The Vorlon Wife first brought up this possibility a few days ago and I thought the odds of this were higher than zero.

In general, he seemed pleased with my condition. Coincidentally, I am also pleased with my condition – well as pleased as I can be under the circumstances. It’s nice, if you can agree with your doctor.

I now have an inter-doctor conflict I need to figure out how to resolve. My oncologist, my neurologist, and the oncologist form UOP have all recommended I get the radiation therapy. Since the PET scan came back negative on the brain tumors, the radiologist is refusing to do that. Apparently none of the doctors can simply order the work. The radiologist has the final say on whether the work goes forward of not.

I’m going to see if I can talk to the radiologist and find out why he is reticent to start treatment. Right now the tumors are very small. The largest is half an inch in diameter and I am experiencing no effects from them. But my thinking is, it’s a lot easier to pull weeds when they're seedlings than it is when they’ve grown six feet high.

Now there is the possibility that the radiologist is right and all the rest are wrong. Although the probabilities on this are low, they are not zero.

I have just one question form the medical profession, “Can I get a clear message here?”

Posted by The Vorlon at November 3, 2005 12:43 PM