As of noon today, it was 48 hours since I had been to Dr. Yahanda. I still had not heard from the scheduler at Lutheran Hospital so I decided to call Dr. Yahanda's office to see if it was normal for it to take so long for them to call.
I explained to the first person what I wanted and she said she would transfer me to Dr. Yahanda's nurse.
I talked to the second person, asking her if it should be this long before the Lutheran scheduler calls me. She said she would transfer me to Dr. Yahanda's nurse.
The third person answered the phone..."Scheduling". Why did I not think this was Dr. Yahanda's nurse? I again explained what I was trying to find out. She said she would transfer me to Dr. Yahanda's nurse. I told her the first person said she was doing that and the second person said she was doing that. She said "the person that transferred you to me is a nurse at Lutheran Hospital". I said "ok...transfer me to his nurse".
Well, this time I did get transferred to Dr. Yahanda's nurse, but I didn't actually get to talk to her. I got her voice mail. Hearing the usual "please leave your name, phone number, etc and I will call you back", I followed the instructions. And waited. (remember the waiting game?)
And I am still waiting. I called back right before 5 and their office was closed. So from noon until whenever their office was closed, his nurse could never find the time to call me back. I'm not very happy...oh well, maybe tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Another Test
I met Dr. Yahanda, the surgeon, today. Unfortunately, things are not going to move along as quickly as I had hoped. I was ready to get this thing out yesterday, but I found out today that I have to have another test before he can do surgery.
There is a certain percentage of stomach cancers that will show up benign on the first biopsy. So, the growth I have COULD still be a cancer, but it could also be something else. It was some big long word I have never heard of so I can't remember what it is called. He told me a few times that he really thinks it is the "something else", but he has to be sure before he operates.
The treatment for stomach cancer is to do chemotherapy first then operate to remove the tumor. The treatment for "something else" is to just operate and take it out. So, in order for him to be sure of what it is, I have to have another type of upper GI endoscopy.
This one is with a different kind of probe that will do an ultrasound of the tumor. It will also have a needle in it or on it that will be used to do a needle biopsy of the inside of the tumor rather than just the surface. I don't know when I will have this test. Only one doctor in Fort Wayne administers the test and he is at Lutheran Hospital. They faxed all the info over to Lutheran and now I am waiting (remember the waiting game I mentioned in my first post?) for Lutheran to call me to set up a time for the test.
After this test, I will see Dr. Yahanda within 5-7 days and then we will proceed with whatever treatment is necessary. Let's hope for JUST surgery!!!
There is a certain percentage of stomach cancers that will show up benign on the first biopsy. So, the growth I have COULD still be a cancer, but it could also be something else. It was some big long word I have never heard of so I can't remember what it is called. He told me a few times that he really thinks it is the "something else", but he has to be sure before he operates.
The treatment for stomach cancer is to do chemotherapy first then operate to remove the tumor. The treatment for "something else" is to just operate and take it out. So, in order for him to be sure of what it is, I have to have another type of upper GI endoscopy.
This one is with a different kind of probe that will do an ultrasound of the tumor. It will also have a needle in it or on it that will be used to do a needle biopsy of the inside of the tumor rather than just the surface. I don't know when I will have this test. Only one doctor in Fort Wayne administers the test and he is at Lutheran Hospital. They faxed all the info over to Lutheran and now I am waiting (remember the waiting game I mentioned in my first post?) for Lutheran to call me to set up a time for the test.
After this test, I will see Dr. Yahanda within 5-7 days and then we will proceed with whatever treatment is necessary. Let's hope for JUST surgery!!!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Proceed with Caution
I went to see Dr. Wait today. He confirmed that the biopsy report was benign.
It was a benign mucosa with inflammation. There were no gland changes and no bacteria causing ulcer.
He said that when they do a biopsy they take a little piece of the growth and get the report on it. It is VERY good news that this came back benign, BUT he wants me to be cautiously optimistic. He said he doesn't want me to be SHOCKED if when they take it out and do all the testing on it that they do, they find something different. He said odds are they will NOT find anything since the biopsy is benign, but strange things happen.
So I am proceeding with caution. But I am optimistic...let's just get on with it already:-)
It was a benign mucosa with inflammation. There were no gland changes and no bacteria causing ulcer.
He said that when they do a biopsy they take a little piece of the growth and get the report on it. It is VERY good news that this came back benign, BUT he wants me to be cautiously optimistic. He said he doesn't want me to be SHOCKED if when they take it out and do all the testing on it that they do, they find something different. He said odds are they will NOT find anything since the biopsy is benign, but strange things happen.
So I am proceeding with caution. But I am optimistic...let's just get on with it already:-)
Monday, August 22, 2011
Already!
Well, some of you may not have even read the first post yet, but my doctor's office called this morning to let me know they have the results of the biopsy already!
The news is GOOD! It is benign!!!
More later when I have more news.
The news is GOOD! It is benign!!!
More later when I have more news.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Waiting Game
Monday August 15, I had been kind of dizzy all day. I had been thinking lately about whether I was taking too much blood pressure medicine since I have lost 20 pounds since March. I thought that was why I was feeling dizzy and thought I would call my doctor and ask him about it on Tuesday.
I went downstairs to change my clothes after work and felt VERY dizzy when I came up the stairs. I went into the conference room and sat down until I felt better. Once I did, I left and drove to the bank and the post office. After that, I went to the superintendent's office to go to the school board meeting. I got there before Geoff did and when he came in, I told him that I had felt dizzy all day.
I got through the part of the board meeting that I wanted to get through and then told him I was going to go to the restroom. I walked out to the hall and felt very dizzy (almost sick) again. I made it to the bathroom and was holding on to the top of the door to lock it so I could sit down.
The next thing I knew, I woke up on the floor. I reached up to the lock on the door and unlocked it and crawled out to the hallway. I did not want to fall again and I was still pretty dizzy. I called for the maintenance person who was down the hall and asked her to go get Geoff. I lay on the floor until he came out. He helped me get back up so I could go to the bathroom.
Betty, the maintenance person, had gone to get me a wheelchair and Geoff took me to the ER. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was 74/46. I was admitted to the hospital.
At first, they thought I was dehydrated so they started fluids through an IV. Well I spent the next day or so going to the bathroon AT LEAST once an hour. So they decided I was not dehydrated. My doctor decided to check to see if I was bleeding internally because he noticed my hemoglobin was down from the last time I was in his office. He was thinking bleeding ulcer...so on Thursday I had an upper GI endoscopy.
They found a golf-ball sized tumor in my stomach that was bleeding. I will see my primary care physician on Wednesday to see if the tumor is benign or malignant. After that I see a surgeon on Aug 29 because whether it is benign or malignant, it has to come out because it will bleed again.
I asked my doctor what he really thought...would it be benign or malignant? He said he could only say 50/50. He said it looks really good because there are no "fingers" coming out of it, but there is part of it that looks really suspicious so he could only say 50/50.
I asked him if the specialist he is sending me to is an oncologist. He said "No. He specializes in weird things" So I guess I am considered weird.
That is where I am now...playing the waiting game. If you decide to follow this blog, you can play along with me.
I went downstairs to change my clothes after work and felt VERY dizzy when I came up the stairs. I went into the conference room and sat down until I felt better. Once I did, I left and drove to the bank and the post office. After that, I went to the superintendent's office to go to the school board meeting. I got there before Geoff did and when he came in, I told him that I had felt dizzy all day.
I got through the part of the board meeting that I wanted to get through and then told him I was going to go to the restroom. I walked out to the hall and felt very dizzy (almost sick) again. I made it to the bathroom and was holding on to the top of the door to lock it so I could sit down.
The next thing I knew, I woke up on the floor. I reached up to the lock on the door and unlocked it and crawled out to the hallway. I did not want to fall again and I was still pretty dizzy. I called for the maintenance person who was down the hall and asked her to go get Geoff. I lay on the floor until he came out. He helped me get back up so I could go to the bathroom.
Betty, the maintenance person, had gone to get me a wheelchair and Geoff took me to the ER. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was 74/46. I was admitted to the hospital.
At first, they thought I was dehydrated so they started fluids through an IV. Well I spent the next day or so going to the bathroon AT LEAST once an hour. So they decided I was not dehydrated. My doctor decided to check to see if I was bleeding internally because he noticed my hemoglobin was down from the last time I was in his office. He was thinking bleeding ulcer...so on Thursday I had an upper GI endoscopy.
They found a golf-ball sized tumor in my stomach that was bleeding. I will see my primary care physician on Wednesday to see if the tumor is benign or malignant. After that I see a surgeon on Aug 29 because whether it is benign or malignant, it has to come out because it will bleed again.
I asked my doctor what he really thought...would it be benign or malignant? He said he could only say 50/50. He said it looks really good because there are no "fingers" coming out of it, but there is part of it that looks really suspicious so he could only say 50/50.
I asked him if the specialist he is sending me to is an oncologist. He said "No. He specializes in weird things" So I guess I am considered weird.
That is where I am now...playing the waiting game. If you decide to follow this blog, you can play along with me.
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