sometimes you just give up

3/14/2017

I was out of town over the past week and almost daily I was receiving phone calls from doctors, nurses, pre-op, etc.

Here's an over-view of what went down.
1. My orthopedic oncologist scheduled a bone scan for me to have Monday the 13th. This is a 4-6 test where they inject you with radioactive dye, you must hold still, and they scan your whole body. If any part "lights up" they have to go back over that part from all different angles. Why do I have to do this? This test will tell them basically if I have tumors growing and if I do at this age, they are thought to be malignant. Now what happens if it is malignant? I'm sure you are thinking they have made some great medical advances? Think again! For this disease and osteoscarcoma, they just chop off the limb the tumor is connected to so it will not grow back or spread, like you're a 1862 gangrene patient. Who is to say what limb is worth losing over an agonizing  death? No one. It is one of those personal decision things. After walking around in the rain looking for the entrance to the hospital (due to the main one being moved for construction and all doctors and nurses telling me I couldn't enter and to walk to the other side) I said, "it's just not worth these 4-6 hours and my money for this test to then make that decision of life or limb."

2. Same doctor wants me to also do physical therapy for my shoulder blade for a tumor pressing into my lungs just so insurance will approve an MRI of that area. For those of you who don't know, physical therapy does not treat tumors, it makes the pain and swelling worse. It also is counter productive for costs. I have to go 3 times a week for 6 weeks to have 1 MRI at $2500, then have the surgery just to go back to therapy. Once I run out of therapy visits, I have to pay 100% of it all over again. So, I determined I have had this pain for 3 years, whats another couple years.

3. The day before I left, I had a blood test done by my GI specialist who I have been hanging out with almost every other week now. If I don't go to see him, he makes it a point to personally call me. He made another phone call, and asked me to cut my trip short and I told him that I couldn't, so he asked me to come in first thing Monday morning. Me being me, I asked "How about Tuesday afternoon?" They need to retest my blood, it either came out all wrong from the lab, or something is wrong with me which is what I have been trying to tell him for the past year. Either way, we are both very excited to find out. It might be caused by my bones and if that's the case, I need a new orthopedic oncologist. I have been to Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Memphis.

4. Surgery 33ish is coming up Friday. I lost count after 30. I have been on the phone non-stop with the surgeon, the pre-op nurses, and the anesthesiologist (please let me take this time to note that I asked to be awake the whole time) and we have determined that despite having a couple of bone issues, I am healthy enough to undergo surgery.