Ok, I'm not done venting, but I'll explain: Last week, when my dr's office called me to schedule this procedure, they told me not to eat for four hours before the surgery and to bring someone with me to drive. So, I hadn't eaten anything since last night, and Tim and I got there at 10am. After sitting in the waiting room for an hour, then in the patient's room for 1/2 an hour, the dr. walks in like a whirlwind (like he always does.... he's always in a terrible hurry). He takes 10 minutes to tell me what this port catheter is, where it will be located, how it is inserted and so on (all information that I already had) and groping my chest looking for any weird lumps at the same time. Then, he sits down and asks Tim and I if we have any questions and that is when we asked why they weren't doing the procedure today. He said that he didn't want to do any surgeries without first explaining things. Well, I can respect that, but I already had this same speech (with diagrams, minus the groping) from my oncologist, so could he just do his job, please???? Apparently not. "Come back on Thursday and it'll be done then." And he signed a piece of paper, told me to get with Chris (the surgery scheduler) and left the room the same way he came in.
So.... we wait in the waiting room again (for about another hour or so) and Chris comes out and gets other people, but never me. Finally, I ask the lady if he went to lunch or something, because I was the only person left there! So, another 1/2 hour rolls by, and we finally get back to his office.... and Chris doesn't know why the dr. sent me to him. The surgery was already scheduled for Thursday, so he didn't have to do it! "OH, but wait a minute.... you do need to sign this paperwork...." turns out that I had to wait about 1 1/2 hours to sign my name ONE time to ONE piece of paperwork, which happens to be the SAME PAGE that the dr. signed right in front of me earlier! I was livid.
So, port catheter surgery on Thursday. On the flip side, however, there was a cancelation at the PET scan place, and I'm getting my scan done tomorrow morning instead of on the 17th. So, I get to drink a bunch of barium dye for breakfast. Lucky me!
Grrrr! I'm having a crappy day, and I'm so sick of this emotional roller coaster! I feel like I'm losing my mind just dealing with all of this stuff. Tim did call and file a complaint report today against the dr. and his staff. I don't know what good it'll do, and it didn't give the same feeling of release as screaming at someone would have, but we do what we can, I guess. On the good side, there's a HOPE meeting that I'm going to tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. Maybe it'll help. I dunno.
Love, ~Brenda
P.S. A couple of more sites to check out if you feel inclined:
- A CT (or CAT) scan: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ct-scan/FL00065
- A PET scan: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pet-scan/CA00052
2 comments:
I so understand what you are going through. I am on my third portacath, but I have to say they are worth it. From glancing through your blog, you are about to go through what I have been through. I have done the chemo and radiation treatments and then did a study similar to the one you have decribed. Feel free to contact me anytime you need or want to. I have been there.
Wish I was there to do some yelling for you. Haha you'd never get served then.I am missing you bad. So wish I could be there with you. I'd hold you hand through anything, tell you stories of others that are worse than you and make you laugh when you needed and be a sleeve when you need to BLOW YOUR NOSE.(NOT)(KNOT)
....I love you....
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