Surprising Dr. Karen

Surprising Dr. Karen
I enjoy a good surprise as well as the next person, especially if I am not the target of the surprise. I got to surprise Dr. Karen on Friday. It was the most animated that I can recall seeing her.

Perfectomundo.

We had what has become our usual chat or discussion. I ask her a bunch of questions and she indulges me and answers them with a smile. All of my regular blood tests were fine; my liver and kidneys are functioning normally.

Dr. Karen was surprised that I had lost some weight; about five pounds since my last visit. This was unusually since this is Chuckay and I tend to consume more food. I said that I hadn’t felt all that hungry lately and that I been snacking on healthy foods and not empty calorie foods.

I asked if she had any indication of what the July meeting with the colorectal surgeons was about. The appointment was news to her. I gave her Doug’s analysis of this would be a preparatory meeting for a colonoscopy procedure. Dr. Karen agreed that the timing would be about right for a one year follow up.

Then, it was time for my surprise.

I told her that Doug and I thought the colorectal surgeons have me confused with another patient.

Dr. Karen naturally asked why.

I said it was because they believe that I am not in favor of surgery to reconnect my colon. This was the first time I have seen Dr. Karen speechless. She recovered quickly.

“What.” I’m just not sure where to use an exclamation point or a question mark. “That can’t be right. You’ve always been in favor of the surgery.”

It was my turn to smile. I said that Doug and I clarified things with the surgery resident. I told him that I had been pushing for a reconnection since I entered the oncology program at the hospital.

Then, it was my turn again to make Dr. Karen smile. I said that maybe by July the surgeons will be able to find my Tumor Board report for last year. Dr. Karen said that they should since the surgeons prepare the Board reports.

I outlined my thoughts on how the treatment should go forward. I thought that with the likely colonoscopy in July and an MRI in June that she could move my case forward to the Tumor Board in August or September. And, assuming that I remain cancer free, that I could look forward to the reconnection surgery in the First Quarter of 2010 because I saw no need to make a mess of the holidays with a surgical procedure.

Dr. Karen thought for a moment and generally agreed that this was a workable schedule.

Then, we talked about the current treatment plan. I found out that I am starting Cycle 9 of my Second Round of chemotherapy. I never paid any attention to how many times that I have taken the Xeloda; I just I have taken the medicine a lot. Dr. Karen plans to take me off of the Xeloda after the 10th Cycle which ought to be in mid-June. This is in preparation for the MRI.

Being Nice to the Nurses
I have found that being nice to the regular staffers is very beneficial to me. This is something I learned when I served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Being a Navy officer and having never served with Marines, I asked my sergeant what I needed to do to be successful.

My sergeant said, “Well zur, you first need to take of your snuffies and then you need to complete your mission. Everything else takes care of itself.”

“What is a snuffy?”

“A young Marine zur.”

“Aaah.”

I make it a specific point to be nice the nurses because they have great control over my care and how the office visits work out for me. I am reasonably certain that there are few other patients like me in the clinic.

I was scheduled to see Dr. Karen around 10:30 AM on Friday. But, I was the first patient that she saw around 8:50; I was in and out of the hospital before my original scheduled appointment time. The saved time meant a lot to me.

Nurse Vhrunda just calls my first name and smiles when they call the patients for vital signs check before seeing the doctors.

I said, “Hello Beautiful,” when she gave me my patient identification card. Vhrunda grinned like a Cheshire cat. Wendy and Vhrunda took my vital signs and asked why my blood pressure was on the high side.

I said that it was because I was alone in a room with two beautiful women. They both giggled blushed.

Excellent.

Vhrunda and Wendy said I was bad because their scrubs were not fitting as well after eating the brownies. I said that I didn’t force them to eat the brownies. Vhrunda said if that was the case, then I shouldn’t have bought the brownies in the first place. They do have a valid point there; but, I strongly doubt that they want me to stop bringing sweet treats.

The hospital has a scheduling program in the computer system. This program is designed to insure that patients are given a fair chance at having an early appointment from time to time. My next appointment was scheduled for 10:30; one of the nurses changed it to 8:00 AM.

Life is good for me.


Be well and stay happy.