Saturday, November 18, 2017

Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that...

Hello all!

I think I have already experienced the best part of my weekend. On the way home from the gym, I followed a beast of a pickup with 2 exceptionally large Basset hounds in the back. They were clearly having the best part of their weekend, too. Abundent joy. I could have followed them all day.

My buddy pharmacist is still out on medical leave. Due to a scheduling snafu, I ended up with too many in-person patients and not enough time to take care of my indirect care. Sad. I might have to work the day before Thanksgiving. Panic!

My dishwasher likely needs to be fixed. It also needs to be cleaned on the inside. Once again, I am seriously thinking about just buying a new one. It is at least 10 years old. Yes, I am THAT lazy.

Hug your skinny!

Shel

Hubby and I are home. We are both exhausted and taking it easy today. I'm still in my pajamas and, except for a trip today to the public library, that's what I intend to wear. So there!

Paula, you will appreciate this story a lot ...

Bottom line is that we accomplished this trip what we needed to do -- get a different new lymphoma mass (on hubby's back) biopsied. But, I swear ... if I had not been there and advocated for hubby (who was already exhausted by the time he was lying on the gurney) they would have biopsied the same ******g mass (on his chest) that was biopsied nearly 2 months ago.

The radiologists weren't stupid -- but The Celebrity Oncologist's written instructions were so vague that they didn't comprehend how important it was to sample from elsewhere.

I swear! It's my uber-focus on managing all the risk out of important processes and decision-making that made me so successful as a consultant. I suppose I can't leave that skill behind after retirement and definitely in my role as medical advocate for hubby and, eventually, for myself. The world is so replete with miscommunication and corner-cutting that somebody who knows the big picture has to carry everyone's messages to all the other providers.

Anyway, I'll get back with the maintenance program today/tomorrow. Yesterday, I pretty much said, "Fuck it!" Don't do that often, but it somehow didn't seem incredibly illogical given how exhausted I felt. As I said to Cecily the other day, it's not a single day that gets us off the rails, but what we do day after day.

There. I feel better now. :)

Oh yes, I can totally relate Ann! On both the advocate part and the F it part. We didn't stop for lunch yesterday but rather just drove the 4 hours home after the useless appt. I ate dark chocolate covered caramels and animal crackers on the way home....lunch of champions! I had protein bars in the car....but didn't choose them!

It is so critical that a person who is facing severe illness have a medical advocate such as you and Paula for your husbands. I did the same when eldest DD was sick, ultimately leaving work for a year and home for several months to advocate for her.

What does someone do who doesn't have a strong, educated advocate?????

Without a medical advocate, I think that, as the kids say, patients are screwed AF.

And the longer an illness continues, the more complicated and detailed the symptoms, treatments, complications, drug reactions, and the long arc of the treatment timeline and any patterns that are obvious to the patient and their advocate.

Nobody, especially not "Celebrity MDs," are going to carefully read a long medical record. I suppose that's what the "Fellows" are for. And what Medical Advocates are for when misundersandings become evident.

I have been thinking of you two all week. Enjoy PJ day in your cozy nest. I'm glad DH has you as quarterback (and sorry you need to be QB). Also, glad that the local onc made sure he had ALL the info before moving forward.

Thought of you as well when I saw a clip of Claire McCaskill getting feisty. :)

Thanks.

And yea, Claire!

You're so right about having an advocate. My dad is super with it and smart, but he said there is so much information flying at you wrapped up with the emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis that he said he'd be lost without his wife there to help keep it all straight...

Your husband is lucky to have you!

Weight 168, calories 1379

Every time I think the identity theft stuff is slowing down, something else happens. Yesterday I tried to set up my mail hold for next week's travel online and I got a message saying that "you can only have one hold for an address at one time." I hadn't gotten mail the previous day and thought that was strange as I had signed up for USPS's Informed Daily Delivery Digest where they send you pictures of what is coming in the mail and the 8 identity theft related things it showed weren't delivered. So I hightailed it to the post office where I had to explain the whole thing and they told me that this crapbag had put my mail on hold from 11/16 until 12/1. They were trying to catch all the credit cards and checks they signed up for!

Somehow it makes it feel so much creepier that whoever is doing this lives close enough to me that they thought they could go to my post office to pick up this stuff. So next I filed a police report (they were more concerned with the credit card applications than the mail thing, while I feel the reverse). Next is to file a report with the postal inspector for mail tampering. I just want this to end!

So I missed the movie and dinner with my friends as I spent the time at the police station.

Today I'll be watching the USC-UCLA football game and working on my closet with some dog walks in there.

Liz, have a safe drive tomorrow!