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05-17-2022, 12:45 AM

Well, I actually thought today (Monday) was going to be not too bad. Nope.

Connie has been having trouble breathing and a persistent cough is creeping in on her. She is also worried about the swelling in her left leg/foot. So she texted the nurse (Marissa) who is sort of our contact point. Never got a reply from Marissa, but the office called and told Connie she had and appt at 3:15pm for an ultrasound of her legs, and also a chest x-ray which would be fit around as available at Radiology Associates. So that took up the better part of the day. Not that we got up all that early, as it was another rough night sleeping.

So she got the x-ray first, and then shortly after the ultrasound. They said her oncologist would have the results of the x-ray in a day or two. As for the ultrasound, the tech seemed puzzled because the blood clot in Connie's left leg wasn't there any longer. She called in another tech to check her work and sure enough, the clot was gone. So is this good news or bad news? I figured we would be hearing back from the oncology center shortly so we would just wait it out. Of course, I started researching blood clots on the internet and learning more than I ever want to know about pulmonary embolisms.

Time dragged on and still no word, so I texted Marissa to find out what was going on. What about that vanished blood clot? What did it mean? And would that x-ray show that embolism if that was taking place? Connie was having shortness of breath, coughing and lately a pain or two in her chest area. Which seemed to fit the bill for that embolism. Apparently Marissa is assisting in surgeries on Mondays and Thursdays, so I got a text around 8 or 8:30pm. Marissa said that the x-ray showed Connie had pleural effusions, but didn't say if it was the same right lung that she had that before, or in both lungs. Damn.... So the fluid is building back up that she had aspirated before. How long was that? Beats me. Time doesn't work so well any longer.

So Marissa if we got the notice of the scheduled Thoracentesis (sp?) for tomorrow. Well, no... First we had heard of it.

Long pause in the texting.

Then she mentions that they will be talking to us about the scans and a plan of treatment during the meeting we have scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday). What meeting? First we had heard about it. Long pauses in the texting. Apparently we have a meeting at 1:45pm with Dr. Ellison (the surgeon/oncologist). I guess we were supposed to know about this via telepathy.

I am beginning to feel that Connie's life is in the hands of some frighteningly incompetent people. Right about then is when I broke my streak of not taking any valium for a few days. Problem is that the people she is seeing and the facility is supposed to be the best around for oncology issues. But damn I am just not getting any sort of warm and fuzzy feeling about this. I am thinking I may have to take a pocket full of valiums to the meeting tomorrow to keep me from going ballistic on those people. Either that, or if that meeting is just filled with nothing but real bad news, melt down to a jelly fish in the middle of the floor needing to be carried out in a bucket.

If there really is such a thing as the Mendelian Effect I am ready for a different universe, please.

Guess I had better get to bed. I think tomorrow is going to really suck. My heart weighs just way too damn much.

05-17-2022, 12:45 AM	#21
WebSlave	Well, I actually thought today (Monday) was going to be not too bad. Nope. Connie has been having trouble breathing and a persistent cough is creeping in on her. She is also worried about the swelling in her left leg/foot. So she texted the nurse (Marissa) who is sort of our contact point. Never got a reply from Marissa, but the office called and told Connie she had and appt at 3:15pm for an ultrasound of her legs, and also a chest x-ray which would be fit around as available at Radiology Associates. So that took up the better part of the day. Not that we got up all that early, as it was another rough night sleeping. So she got the x-ray first, and then shortly after the ultrasound. They said her oncologist would have the results of the x-ray in a day or two. As for the ultrasound, the tech seemed puzzled because the blood clot in Connie's left leg wasn't there any longer. She called in another tech to check her work and sure enough, the clot was gone. So is this good news or bad news? I figured we would be hearing back from the oncology center shortly so we would just wait it out. Of course, I started researching blood clots on the internet and learning more than I ever want to know about pulmonary embolisms. Time dragged on and still no word, so I texted Marissa to find out what was going on. What about that vanished blood clot? What did it mean? And would that x-ray show that embolism if that was taking place? Connie was having shortness of breath, coughing and lately a pain or two in her chest area. Which seemed to fit the bill for that embolism. Apparently Marissa is assisting in surgeries on Mondays and Thursdays, so I got a text around 8 or 8:30pm. Marissa said that the x-ray showed Connie had pleural effusions, but didn't say if it was the same right lung that she had that before, or in both lungs. Damn.... So the fluid is building back up that she had aspirated before. How long was that? Beats me. Time doesn't work so well any longer. So Marissa if we got the notice of the scheduled Thoracentesis (sp?) for tomorrow. Well, no... First we had heard of it. Long pause in the texting. Then she mentions that they will be talking to us about the scans and a plan of treatment during the meeting we have scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday). What meeting? First we had heard about it. Long pauses in the texting. Apparently we have a meeting at 1:45pm with Dr. Ellison (the surgeon/oncologist). I guess we were supposed to know about this via telepathy. I am beginning to feel that Connie's life is in the hands of some frighteningly incompetent people. Right about then is when I broke my streak of not taking any valium for a few days. Problem is that the people she is seeing and the facility is supposed to be the best around for oncology issues. But damn I am just not getting any sort of warm and fuzzy feeling about this. I am thinking I may have to take a pocket full of valiums to the meeting tomorrow to keep me from going ballistic on those people. Either that, or if that meeting is just filled with nothing but real bad news, melt down to a jelly fish in the middle of the floor needing to be carried out in a bucket. If there really is such a thing as the Mendelian Effect I am ready for a different universe, please. Guess I had better get to bed. I think tomorrow is going to really suck. My heart weighs just way too damn much.