Called Into the Doctor's Office

Diary 20100514 Called Into the Doctor's Office

We sang along with my new XM radio on the way to the hospital, Norwegian Wood by the Beatles was the only real song we knew.  We faked the other ones. 

She made funny faces as I tried to take some pictures of her in her hospital bed for Facebook pictures.   She is in good spirits and trying to watch the news on tv using her touch screen screen.   She has already crashed it a couple of times and I am sure would prefer an old fashion tv.  She can even do Internet.

Well, the news is that she has a tumor on her spinal column, looks about the diameter of a quarter.  It is about half way down the her spinal column and it is blocking the function of her bladder, bowels, and her lower legs.  They are going to put her on massive steroids for 48 hours, do some maintenance work, and start her on radiation treatment on Monday.  They also plan to do more MRI, bone scans,  etc. to make sure the one tumor they found last night is the only one.  

The hospital, Christiana Center in Newwark, DE, is about 30 minutes from my house.  It is the same hospital that my old boss, Rick Corbett, was in about four years ago.  His was not a happy ending.  But, it is about as modern as cancer hospitals go.  

Of course, modern hospitals still only have one way communication, it comes from the doctor the patient.  Julie is hungry, but is not allowed to eat because the doctor hasn't authorized food.  Probably because she doesn't know that Julie hasn't eaten.  If we had of eaten on our way over her, then it would have been okay.  So, modern hospitals suffer from top down communications just like in the old days.   No way to communicate to the doctor to tell her that Julie is hungry.  So, I am not impressed with brilliance of this place if they can't get two way communications going.  It is a little thing that she is hungry, which she takes in good graces, but it bothers me.  I want to eat but feel guilty doing so, so I don't.

I have to get home and walk the dog soon, feed the cats, etc.  Cook a sausage dish that Julie started and didn't finish that's sitting on the counter.   Yea, I am babbling and not dealing with the real thoughts going through my head.  My younger daughter called and said she was praying for mom.  She has a sinus infection which has spread into her eyes.  She is always sick with something, not a well person.

Julie sent me home.  One hail of a thunderstorm, biggest I've seen in forever, the kind that breaks your windshield on the highway, almost.  Ashton, our Jack Russell,  had got his chain tangled up and was just sitting in a down pour.  Most of the time when I leave him I just leave him on his on recognizance since he is honest and trust worthy.  We have no fence, he just knows our yard.  Although he does chase bunnies, herons and crows across property lines.  He knows we do not like herons because they eat our pond fish and he decided on his own that crows are not to be trusted either.  Large black birds are okay.  They don't go caw, caw, which Ashton takes as an insult.   He also tells me they eat fish. 

Oldest daughter texted me that she cried at my text message.  And, they got Julie food at the hospital since the doctor visited and two way communications were temporarily restored.  Its going to be a long night for Julie, she is in some discomfort.  A few or more screw drivers will be my best friend with Ashton now sleeping beside me.  He helped me eat a chicken.  I don't have to eat by the rules when Julie is not here.  I usually just eat the first thing I see, it is a simple system and the same system that a bear uses.   My son argues that I do not eat everything that a bear eats, but the jury is still out on this one.  I am willing to adapt with some lessons from a bear.  Whow, a chick can make you full; Ashton is out of it.  More later.