Special thanks again to my Mom, Carol Deets, who delayed her flight from Sunday until today to help with our two children and the house. I love you Mom!
Today was a very long day. I had several tests done, met a new oncologist for a second opinion and received my final pathology results from the mediastinoscopy.
Both of the tests I had done were done to establish baselines of organ function prior to chemotherapy. That is ominous, is it not? The first test was called a pulmonary function test and involved me sitting in a small, enclosed glass booth huffing and puffing on air and gas until I nearly passed out. Results normal. The second test was an Echo cardiogram, which is essentially a sonogram that checks heart function. Results normal.
On a seemingly unrelated note, we have used one of Charlotte's best interior designers, Wanda Horton, a few times. Upon hearing what I was going through, Wanda mentioned that one of her clients was Charlotte's best oncologist, and we simply needed to see him. After we confirmed her thought, we met today with one of Charlotte's Best Doctor's 2010, Gary P. Frenette, MD PhD. Dr. Frenette was fantastic, and although I'm going to feel guilty about leaving Dr. Hellner, I am going to leave my care to Dr. Frenette from here on out. Thank you Wanda!
The last news of the day was really a foregone conclusion. Dr. Reames called the house and gave me the final pathology results: Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Nodular Sclerosis subtype.
Showing posts with label Carol Deets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carol Deets. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
1st - Having your chest shaved
Special thanks to my mother, Carol Deets, for taking care of our two kids today!
Stuart and I went to the main CMC facility this morning at 5 AM in preparation for my mediastinoscopy. There really was no good reason to bring me in that early, as we were ready to roll by 6 AM, then had a nice wait until it was time to go at 8 AM. Most of the preparations were as per the usual - paperwork, health questions, blood draws, IV placement, etc.
One of the preparations was quite unusual however, at least to me. A nice gentlemen named Randolph came into the room and told me it was time to shave my chest. Of course this is an uncomfortable proposition between two men, regardless of the fact that one is a medical professional. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am a (modestly) insecure person so the only thing I knew to do was strike up a conversation:
Dan (D) - So Randolph, where are you from?
Randolph (R) - Trinidad, in the Caribbean
D - When did you come to the US?
R - Came in 1969, when I defected from a government group that was travelling from Trinidad to New York, NY. Where are you from?
D - New Jersey originally, although I have been in Charlotte for the last 12 years
R - New Jersey is terrible, even the trees smell bad
D - (on a gurney laughing) Why are we shaving my chest?
R - Picture two doctors standing over you in surgery and something goes wrong. They need to open you up to save your life and one looks at the other and says "wait, we can not open him up...no one shaved his chest"
D - Nice one Randolph, touche
I don't recall much from the procedure itself, nor the ride home, but I certainly have the scar to prove it happened. Dr. Reames pulled Stuart aside and told her that the preliminary pathology looked like Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Stuart and I went to the main CMC facility this morning at 5 AM in preparation for my mediastinoscopy. There really was no good reason to bring me in that early, as we were ready to roll by 6 AM, then had a nice wait until it was time to go at 8 AM. Most of the preparations were as per the usual - paperwork, health questions, blood draws, IV placement, etc.
One of the preparations was quite unusual however, at least to me. A nice gentlemen named Randolph came into the room and told me it was time to shave my chest. Of course this is an uncomfortable proposition between two men, regardless of the fact that one is a medical professional. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am a (modestly) insecure person so the only thing I knew to do was strike up a conversation:
Dan (D) - So Randolph, where are you from?
Randolph (R) - Trinidad, in the Caribbean
D - When did you come to the US?
R - Came in 1969, when I defected from a government group that was travelling from Trinidad to New York, NY. Where are you from?
D - New Jersey originally, although I have been in Charlotte for the last 12 years
R - New Jersey is terrible, even the trees smell bad
D - (on a gurney laughing) Why are we shaving my chest?
R - Picture two doctors standing over you in surgery and something goes wrong. They need to open you up to save your life and one looks at the other and says "wait, we can not open him up...no one shaved his chest"
D - Nice one Randolph, touche
I don't recall much from the procedure itself, nor the ride home, but I certainly have the scar to prove it happened. Dr. Reames pulled Stuart aside and told her that the preliminary pathology looked like Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
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