a visit to the VA

     It only took two months for the gasto-enterologist to apologize to my friend for tearing the lining the wall of his espohogaus. He was, during the meeting with him, increasingly distraught. After we had left, he noted that the very least the doc could have done was to have apologized while he remained at the hospital, especially since he remained there an extra couple of weeks because of the tear.
     Most (but not all) of the clinicans who saw him today were reluctant to provide encouragement or support. Instead it was "...why did you let them remove your feeder tube?" or "Oh, don't listen to <>u>that hospital. They are far too experimental." {NOTE: he had called Cancer Centers of America who gave him some ideas for a proccedure that might be able to open the esophagus stricture somewhat].
     The plus side is that NO cancer cells were observed, and his bloodwork is pretty darned good, and his weight is 15 pounds greater than when he'd been discharged mid-April.
     Next week, a tentaive expansion of the esophogeal stricture again... together with anticipated difficuties with getting anesthesia due to constricted blood veins.
     That, and dealing with an insensitive, uncaring and probably incompetent case worker at the Medicaid office that "manages" his outpatient payment authorizations. I am being MORE than gracious at not mentioning the New Britain CT DSS case worker by name. I KNOW she messes up other clients accounts as well, so it is, um, nothing personal.
     More to follow.

living with cancer - communications at the hospital

The patient should have an opportunity to ask questions to elicit a better understanding of the
treatment or procedure, so that he or she can make an informed decision to proceed or to refuse
a particular course of medical intervention.

This communications process, or a variation thereof, is both an ethical obligation
and a legal requirement spelled out in statutes and case law in all 50 states.
American Medical Association / Web page describing "Informed Consent"

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Last week Bill developed what might have been a "mild" case of pneumonia, however "mild" a lung infection can be at the same time one is hospitalized for cancer.

I suspect he even knew ~ intuitively ~ that he had contracted it. He'd been coughing some one day last week when I visited. We went downstairs, sat in the yard between buildings one/two and the older complex, and he mentioned something about getting an infection.

He did not go for radiation/chemo on Friday. Sat the weekend anticipating going Monday but when that came nothing happened. Oh, no, he was moved to a new ward. We knew that was coming.

I called early this morning to find out what was going on. Today, he learned at 1130 that he was not going for treatment again today. No reason provided. He got anxious. Over the phone I heard someone telling that someone from oncology was coming to see him.

Still with no answers I left work to see what was going on. As I was pulling into the VA Center, a call came from the oncology team. He had pneumonia. Yes we told him. He ought to have known that we won't treat him while he's getting antibiotics... but not to worry since the growth is slow and this should be resolved by the end of the week [meaning, I suppose, that treatments start next week].

One of the most frustrating things to deal with is not knowing. As I drove toward the center [made it in record time ~ less than half an hour] I kept thinking the worst. This is a repeat concern. Bill keeps asking to be told what's going on. So do I.

Might have to just move in and park myself in order to know what is going on.

Again, all that said, people working here are not uncaring; too busy sometimes, perhaps ~ which can happen at most any hospital. Yet the docs don't communicate their knowledge until after the frustration tipping point. Don't they get it? In the process of being an informed consenter getting the details from the docs does not seem to be too much to ask for.

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IMAGE CREDIT: Lungs Home Health which touts iteslef as "the UK's leading provider of drug testing products, pregnancy tests, ovulation tests, DNA Paternity Tests and home testing kits. The image was found at What Are Lungs?, a webpage put together by Nandini Thogarapalli, a grade five student at Dr. E.W. Coffin School, Calgary, Canada, as a science project that looks at lung cancer.

living with cancer - day one chemo/radiation

Getting started on cancer treatment is a bit like driving into a dark tunnel with no directionals.

I don't know if my friend had his first treatment today. Nursing staff in the afternoon they can't say for sure that he went to the cancer center; the nurse only knew that he was on the ward when she came on duty.

A different nurse, later on, reports that his ride didn't pick him up on time, but remains equally uncertain if he'd gone today for treatment [Shouldn't that be in the record?].

What is certain is that he was moved to a new ward, with nurses who don't know him nor his quirks and eccentricities.

I expect I'll hear a rasher asking "...is it bark or bite" when he lashes out loud and verbal. [It's bark, basically] He's in pain! He's got esophageal cancer! ...and nobody's taking the time to either explain all this or provide a bit of TLC. Surely nursing is more than reading blood pressure gauges and finding another vein to stick.

fitful wanderings from the web

From Make magazine: How to design and create things without a computer. It is wonderful that we have the technology we do today, but it is a shame that the cost is losing the true craftsman.

Some advantages to having your own water source. Exposure to fluoride can be hazardous to your health. One health researcher refers to fluoride into public water supplies as "...forced medication for the masses."

Borderline Families. "Stories from Families Affected by Loved Ones with BPD." A site developed by a mother to "...share the story of how we struggled with [my daughter's] illness while searching for help. I found that borderline is not only treatment-resistant but often misdiagnosed. I was frustrated by the unreliable treatments offered and the lack of discussion." The objective is to share useful knowledge and information with others.
     My question: how many mental disorders discovered in the late 20th century are really a result of our race's tendency to spread toxins into ourselves and our environment?

Biodegradable gel being studied as treatment for esophageal cancer. The investigational drug, called OncoGel, is made of two major components, the ReGel drug delivery system, which is a gel made up of ingredients used in biodegradable stitches, and paxclitaxel, a well established, FDA-approved anti-cancer chemotherapy agent. Patients receive a one-time injection of OncoGel during an endoscopy.

From Addicting Info: Bills Republicans have blocked from passing into law:

 • Anti-Rape Amendment - Makes it so that women raped overseas while working for foreign contractors have the right to have their case heard in an American court instead of having their case mediated by the company they work for. Only Republican men voted against this.
 • Benefits for Homeless Veterans - Would have expanded benefits to homeless veterans and homeless veterans with children.
 • Health Care - Prevents insurance companies from discriminating against you on the basis of "pre-existing conditions".
 • Small business lending bill - would give LOCAL, community banks access to billions of dollars to loan to small businesses.
 • The Jobs Bill - Offsets the payroll tax for 1 year for companies that higher new employees, or people receiving unemployment insurance. Also gives other tax incentives to companies hiring new employees.
 • Financial reform - Puts stricter regulations on the banks, preventing them from becoming "too big to fail". Curbs reckless spending practices that caused the banking crisis.
 • Political Ad disclosure bill - Would have required all donors to political campaigns to reveal themselves.
...Wait! There's more!

Insightful reportage from a FOX News affiliate: Disturbing discovery of crabs filled with black substance.
     ACTUAL QUOTES:
     "A pair of fishermen in Mississippi made an alarming discovery that has many wondering what's happening below the surface in the Gulf of Mexico. They found several full-sized crabs filled with some sort of black substance."
     FOX 8 News reporter, Shelley Brown asked: "This is where the crabs live, on the bottom?" "Correct," answered Ladner and Mayne."
     Ladner said he couldn't sell shrimp even if they wanted too. He said some of the largest processing facilities in the country say they just can't buy from him right now because they say the sentiment around the country is that this oil and dispersant mix is at the bottom and in our seafood.
     "We've seen a lot of large fish since this has happened that are dead on the beach. We're seeing large bones like on days that are low tides like tonight.. mammals, turtle bones," Hancock County Hazardous Material lead liaison Jesse Fineran said.
     Emergency managers want to know what's causing this"

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IMAGE SOURCES: 1- Cancer cell being attacked by the immune system Alternative Cancer.net; 2- FOX Affiliate Newscaster Shelly Brown FOX 8 LIVE, New Orleans, LA.