When last seen in this space, I was waiting for appointments with Specialists. On Monday, I had an appointment with my surgeon — healing nicely, says the surgeon, we’ll touch base again in two months — and with Oncologist the First, she who determines when chemo will do the patient any good.
In order to determine this, she has to have the results of a DNAish test, possibly called an oncotype. She ordered that test on Monday and expects results in two weeks. No, I don’t know why the test wasn’t ordered when it was discovered that the lymph nodes were involved; and no, I also don’t know why they’ve kept my tumor hanging around for weeks. I hope at least its had books to read.
Anyway, we’re waiting for the results of that test so that we can figure out what’s to do, going forward.
In the meantime, the hospital is trying to limit the number of visitors to it, so my next meeting, this with the Ray Gun Specialist, will be via telehealth, which is a fancy way of saying, “The doctor will meet with you via Zoom conference.” And that’s what we’ll be doing next Thursday.
Before someone leaps up to Explain how REALLY SCARY AND EVIL Zoom is — this is the doctor’s choice of communication tool; it is far, far better than making a 100+ mile round trip to the hospital, exposing myself to a lot of immunodepressed persons, and exposing them to me, while Steve is excluded from entering at all. The Zoom conference will allow Steve to attend the meeting fully, and the cats, too; and lowers the risk of infection considerably. Also, the laptop runs Linux, so considerably less danger than were it running Windows.
So, basically, we’re in Hurry Up and Wait Mode.
The news from my surgeon is that, in the Current Climate, the hospital is reassessing its risk management guidelines, meaning that some procedures which would have been on the front burner, in Olden Times, are now being kicked down the road by two to six months.
In the meantime, I’m working — slowly — on Splinter Universe Presents! and not writing at all. I’m not particularly happy about that, but it is what it is.
Steve and I have been pretty much staying in, except for visits to the hospital, which — except for visits to the hospital — is pretty much our normal. The next-door neighbors are looking out for us, and we’ve been using InstaCart for grocery shopping, which has been working out surprisingly well, despite shortages in the store itself.
A kind friend gave us gallons of frozen blueberries, so we’re wealthy in antioxidants. Today, I made blueberry muffins, and Steve is figuring to make blueberry pancakes over the weekend, which still leaves plenty left over for smoothies, and putting over ice cream, and, and, and…
The cats have been working hard to give equal coverage — right now, Trooper is in my Command Chair, while Sprite and Belle cover Steve in his office.
And that? Is all the news.
Everybody stay safe.