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Dec. 29th, 2004 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caraigSo.
Last night I was in a pretty miserable mood. We were going to be taking mom to the doctor's today. We needed to find out why she was so weak and unfocussed. I don't need to tell some of you that I was on edge and being kind of snippish and miserable. I fully expected the doctor to say something to the effect of 'Weeks left.'
First off, shout-outs and mad props -- if I can use that language -- to the chairman of the Radio-Oncology Clinic at Staten Island University Hospital, Dr. Jonathan Beilter. Today I received a lesson in Aggression That Is Not Aggression. This Zen thing means that he got things DONE, and did not take no for an answer, but he was probably one of the friendliest guys I've ever met. You'll see what I mean in a moment. Basically, we showed up, he greeted us, talked with us a bit, then arranged a CAT scan, right there and right then. I was sure we'd have to wait a day or two for it. First point for him.
Now, then. I suspect my mother has some sort of arrangement with the primal forces of radiation, or Amaterasu, or someone like that. Radiation LIKES her. Here's why.
The last time she had radiotherapy, the cancer cells in her lungs went away pretty completely. As you may know, she received radiation to deal with the brain lesions that were discovered about two and a half months ago. (The doctors only told us 'multiple' brain lesions. I assumed 'multiple' in general means 'more than a few.' In this case, it in fact meant 'over thirty.') The doctor called us in after the CAT scan andI was getting that sinking feeling that this was going to be bad. Nuh-uh. No trace of the brain lesions. The radiation did remarkably well.
So, as it turns out, her current deteriorated condition is NOT caused by a recurrence of her cancer (which has metastasized, and it WILL be back at some point in some form, just not right now) but rather with an existing condition called hypercephallis, which is a buildup of pressure in the braincase from a failure of the drainage system -- basically, plumbing. We knew she had this condition before, in fact we brought her into the hospital three months ago because we thought it was the hypercephallitis getting worse. We'd known about it before but couldn't do anything about it because to deal with it they have to put in a shunt, and with the brain lesions there, there was the chance that cancerous cells would be drained via the shunt and spread to the rest of the body.
So we've come back to where this misery started, in all, to dealing with a condition that we know about, isn't life-threatening, and which is resolved relatively simply. Full circle, baby. Om. May this be a favorable sign.
Oh, yeah. Dr. Beilter's fudoshin of Getting Things Done. So once he discovered that the problem wasn't cancer, it was, technically, out of his hands. But maybe he's just a really nice guy, or it was a slow day, but he then directs his awe-inspiring Aggression-Not-Aggression powers to getting:
I mean, Wow. This is something to aspire to. He was not rude at all, was never anything but friendly and courteous. And mom's GP doctor is notorious (to me) for being hard to get in touch with. Somehow he got all this done, and then had the time to wheel mom in her wheelchair out to the waiting room himself.
Probably was a slow day there, and I don't expect this sort of thing from all doctors. But, damn. A little tiny bit of my faith in Humanity is restored.
---
Regarding that REALLY BLOODY ODD LJ icon I have on this post, I'm playing with GIF animation. ^^ Someone said once -- in fact teased me a LOT about it -- that I looked like Rimmer from Red Dwarf. Fortunately, this means I looked like Ace Rimmer, as well. And since I had the bomber jacket on today, figured I'd cobble this icon together. Yeah, I know, I ned my hair longer. You should have seen me when my hair was longer before I went to that bogus interview last week.
Anyway, life ain't perfect, but it's bearable right now. Mor elater, I have a review of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex PS2 game I'll put up shortly. Pax.
Last night I was in a pretty miserable mood. We were going to be taking mom to the doctor's today. We needed to find out why she was so weak and unfocussed. I don't need to tell some of you that I was on edge and being kind of snippish and miserable. I fully expected the doctor to say something to the effect of 'Weeks left.'
First off, shout-outs and mad props -- if I can use that language -- to the chairman of the Radio-Oncology Clinic at Staten Island University Hospital, Dr. Jonathan Beilter. Today I received a lesson in Aggression That Is Not Aggression. This Zen thing means that he got things DONE, and did not take no for an answer, but he was probably one of the friendliest guys I've ever met. You'll see what I mean in a moment. Basically, we showed up, he greeted us, talked with us a bit, then arranged a CAT scan, right there and right then. I was sure we'd have to wait a day or two for it. First point for him.
Now, then. I suspect my mother has some sort of arrangement with the primal forces of radiation, or Amaterasu, or someone like that. Radiation LIKES her. Here's why.
The last time she had radiotherapy, the cancer cells in her lungs went away pretty completely. As you may know, she received radiation to deal with the brain lesions that were discovered about two and a half months ago. (The doctors only told us 'multiple' brain lesions. I assumed 'multiple' in general means 'more than a few.' In this case, it in fact meant 'over thirty.') The doctor called us in after the CAT scan andI was getting that sinking feeling that this was going to be bad. Nuh-uh. No trace of the brain lesions. The radiation did remarkably well.
So, as it turns out, her current deteriorated condition is NOT caused by a recurrence of her cancer (which has metastasized, and it WILL be back at some point in some form, just not right now) but rather with an existing condition called hypercephallis, which is a buildup of pressure in the braincase from a failure of the drainage system -- basically, plumbing. We knew she had this condition before, in fact we brought her into the hospital three months ago because we thought it was the hypercephallitis getting worse. We'd known about it before but couldn't do anything about it because to deal with it they have to put in a shunt, and with the brain lesions there, there was the chance that cancerous cells would be drained via the shunt and spread to the rest of the body.
So we've come back to where this misery started, in all, to dealing with a condition that we know about, isn't life-threatening, and which is resolved relatively simply. Full circle, baby. Om. May this be a favorable sign.
Oh, yeah. Dr. Beilter's fudoshin of Getting Things Done. So once he discovered that the problem wasn't cancer, it was, technically, out of his hands. But maybe he's just a really nice guy, or it was a slow day, but he then directs his awe-inspiring Aggression-Not-Aggression powers to getting:
- The neuosurgeon's PA's down into Radio-Oncology to interview Mom.
- An appointment with the neurosurgeon this coming Tuesday.
- An MRI exam at Verrazano Medical scheduled for Friday. (Okay, the equally friendly nurse took care of this.)
- An appointment with Mom's GP tomorrow.
I mean, Wow. This is something to aspire to. He was not rude at all, was never anything but friendly and courteous. And mom's GP doctor is notorious (to me) for being hard to get in touch with. Somehow he got all this done, and then had the time to wheel mom in her wheelchair out to the waiting room himself.
Probably was a slow day there, and I don't expect this sort of thing from all doctors. But, damn. A little tiny bit of my faith in Humanity is restored.
---
Regarding that REALLY BLOODY ODD LJ icon I have on this post, I'm playing with GIF animation. ^^ Someone said once -- in fact teased me a LOT about it -- that I looked like Rimmer from Red Dwarf. Fortunately, this means I looked like Ace Rimmer, as well. And since I had the bomber jacket on today, figured I'd cobble this icon together. Yeah, I know, I ned my hair longer. You should have seen me when my hair was longer before I went to that bogus interview last week.
Anyway, life ain't perfect, but it's bearable right now. Mor elater, I have a review of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex PS2 game I'll put up shortly. Pax.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Yay! ;)
Date: 2004-12-29 09:55 pm (UTC)P.S. If you're bored, I have a suggestion I'd just love to see re an animated GIF.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-30 12:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-30 02:40 am (UTC)Scott
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Date: 2004-12-30 10:40 pm (UTC)Not so sure about the Ace thing, though. Somehow I can't see a mullet being more flattering on you than it is on anyone else...