After some gentle prodding from my wife and daughters I called my surgeon's office to see how we stood after the most recent scans. They took my message and Rose soon returned my call. She said that the scans showed nothing new and that we would proceed with the operation as originally planned. Good news I guess.
Since the previous scan I read a little about how the PET scans work and what their objective is. I'm certain that the false alarms from the previous scan were caused by my uneasiness. I believe this because of the results of the last test.
Oh well, we're back on the schedule for surgery on Wednesday November 11, Veteran's Day. I wish we had gone ahead last week. All this would have been behind me by now. Nothing to do but forge ahead. I feel bad keeping the many concerned friends and family on edge. Hopefully we'll have some news, good or bad by Wednesday night. Thank you all for the kind wishes and thoughts.
Some time ago my daughter Emily and were talking and I mentioned that barely a day passes that I don't think of something that I'd like to ask my mother or father about. Since they are both dead, they took the answers to whatever questions I might have with them. So Emily suggested that I write a short autobiography for posterity. I kept putting it off and putting it off. Usually I was too busy attending a Procrastinators Meeting to get started. Now feeling a sense of urgency to commit something to paper (or hard drive), I've begun the project.
I've already completed the Table of Contents and the introduction. It should be on bookshelves by early 2120. Keep an eye out.
And by the way, I'm certain that my mother would be surprised to know that the results of every PET scan to date has termed my brain "unremarkable". There is no doubt she would disagree.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
UNDERSTANDING MODERN MEDICINE
Just a quick update on today's Pet-scan with fusion. My dread was for naught. The whole experience was different at the hospital than it was at the diagnostic center. Had I known this from the start, I would have paid the extra $150.- in the first place.
First of all I took a small Valium pill. How much it helped I'm not sure. Second, the test took much less time than the others. Third, both the Pet and CT scans were done on the same machine, one right after the next.
A few things made this scan a lot more comfortable. For one thing, the techs didn't mind answering a few questions that I had. The one tech instructed me to remove any metal from my pockets and person, including my belt. This seems to standard procedure. Then she suggested that once I was under the covers, I should undo my pants and push them down to mid thigh so my zipper would not interfere with the scans. I explained that I had underwear on (nice clean tartan plaid boxers as usual) and suggested that it might be easier if I just removed my drawers prior to climbing aboard the machine. She agreed and said that she didn't mind if I didn't mind. I felt at ease as I mounted the mystery eye machine. When I complained that my arms were uncomfortable stretching above my head, they tried to make me make it better but more importantly, they explained that with my arms in that position, my chest would be stretched and the images would be better. Good enough for me.
So now we'll see what the radiologist and surgeon make of these pictures. Sorry I wasn't smiling more but the thought of the wasted $100.- on last weeks scan was pestering me.
Thanks for listening.
First of all I took a small Valium pill. How much it helped I'm not sure. Second, the test took much less time than the others. Third, both the Pet and CT scans were done on the same machine, one right after the next.
A few things made this scan a lot more comfortable. For one thing, the techs didn't mind answering a few questions that I had. The one tech instructed me to remove any metal from my pockets and person, including my belt. This seems to standard procedure. Then she suggested that once I was under the covers, I should undo my pants and push them down to mid thigh so my zipper would not interfere with the scans. I explained that I had underwear on (nice clean tartan plaid boxers as usual) and suggested that it might be easier if I just removed my drawers prior to climbing aboard the machine. She agreed and said that she didn't mind if I didn't mind. I felt at ease as I mounted the mystery eye machine. When I complained that my arms were uncomfortable stretching above my head, they tried to make me make it better but more importantly, they explained that with my arms in that position, my chest would be stretched and the images would be better. Good enough for me.
So now we'll see what the radiologist and surgeon make of these pictures. Sorry I wasn't smiling more but the thought of the wasted $100.- on last weeks scan was pestering me.
Thanks for listening.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Oh The Humanity!!!
I was supposed to be on the operating table right now. However my surgeon called yesterday afternoon with the news that he wanted another Pet scan. That's two strikes at once. For one thing, I had prepared myself for the surgery today. And strike two, I have come to abhor Pet scans. I'm not altogether sure why.
The first Pet scan I had was back in May of this year. It wasn't too bad, except that my handler told me that the test would take 50 minutes. Well, 50 minutes came and went and I was still laying motionless halfway in the tube. Of course I had to go to the bathroom which I had begun smiling about at the 45 minute mark. At 54 minutes I was getting uncomfortable. Well, the whole episode made me lass than a fan of the test.
Then came Pet scan number two. This was pre-operative and was scheduled by the surgeon. His office made the appointment at the hospital's diagnostic facility. When the hospital called to confirm the appointment, I was informed that there was a $250.- co-pay. This struck me as slightly queer as my first scan was only $100.-. So with the help of my daughter, we discovered that the hospital was billing the scan as an outpatient procedure and could charge more. The insurance company suggested that I call my doctor and inform him of the discrepancy in co-pay prices.
I called the surgeon's office and (feeling like a real skinflint) explained the situation. They told me to call the hospital and see if I could cut a deal with them to do it cheaper. When I called the hospital, the woman that I spoke to was not receptive to knocking $150.- off of the bill. She tried to explain why they charged more than the disgnostic center I had gone to first. If you recall, the insurance company already told me why the hospital charged more and the reason was not because "they have a lot of BIG MACHINES there that cost a lot of money" as I was told by the hospital contact.
Absent a convincing answer, I called the surgeon back and asked if I could have the scan done at the first place so I could save myself $150.-. They said that they would check with the surgeon and let me know. I gave them the name of the first joint and in short order I got a call with an appointment time.
By now the whole surgery and mumbo jumbo about the scan was begining to pester me. So when I went in for the scan I became immediately uncomfortable. Once again I was told it would take 50 minutes. At the 3 minute mark I almost yelled to get me out of the contraption. But I hung in through the itches for the entire 58 minutes. Amen. Until they told me that I had to go to another building for a CT scan so the images could be fused. Well, there was no additional charge and the CT scans only take about 5 minutes so I got that over with. Finally ready for surgery.
Wrongo pally! When the doctor called yesterday, he told me that he and the radiologist were not happy with the quality of the scan. He explained that he wanted another one done at the hospital so he would have undisputable infomation prior to invading my innards. Natrually when the hospital called to confirm my appointment for tomorrow they reminded me that there would be a $250.- co-pay.
So the moral to the story is what? Don't take any wooden nickels anywhere you can spend plenty of greenbacks.
I was supposed to be on the operating table right now. However my surgeon called yesterday afternoon with the news that he wanted another Pet scan. That's two strikes at once. For one thing, I had prepared myself for the surgery today. And strike two, I have come to abhor Pet scans. I'm not altogether sure why.
The first Pet scan I had was back in May of this year. It wasn't too bad, except that my handler told me that the test would take 50 minutes. Well, 50 minutes came and went and I was still laying motionless halfway in the tube. Of course I had to go to the bathroom which I had begun smiling about at the 45 minute mark. At 54 minutes I was getting uncomfortable. Well, the whole episode made me lass than a fan of the test.
Then came Pet scan number two. This was pre-operative and was scheduled by the surgeon. His office made the appointment at the hospital's diagnostic facility. When the hospital called to confirm the appointment, I was informed that there was a $250.- co-pay. This struck me as slightly queer as my first scan was only $100.-. So with the help of my daughter, we discovered that the hospital was billing the scan as an outpatient procedure and could charge more. The insurance company suggested that I call my doctor and inform him of the discrepancy in co-pay prices.
I called the surgeon's office and (feeling like a real skinflint) explained the situation. They told me to call the hospital and see if I could cut a deal with them to do it cheaper. When I called the hospital, the woman that I spoke to was not receptive to knocking $150.- off of the bill. She tried to explain why they charged more than the disgnostic center I had gone to first. If you recall, the insurance company already told me why the hospital charged more and the reason was not because "they have a lot of BIG MACHINES there that cost a lot of money" as I was told by the hospital contact.
Absent a convincing answer, I called the surgeon back and asked if I could have the scan done at the first place so I could save myself $150.-. They said that they would check with the surgeon and let me know. I gave them the name of the first joint and in short order I got a call with an appointment time.
By now the whole surgery and mumbo jumbo about the scan was begining to pester me. So when I went in for the scan I became immediately uncomfortable. Once again I was told it would take 50 minutes. At the 3 minute mark I almost yelled to get me out of the contraption. But I hung in through the itches for the entire 58 minutes. Amen. Until they told me that I had to go to another building for a CT scan so the images could be fused. Well, there was no additional charge and the CT scans only take about 5 minutes so I got that over with. Finally ready for surgery.
Wrongo pally! When the doctor called yesterday, he told me that he and the radiologist were not happy with the quality of the scan. He explained that he wanted another one done at the hospital so he would have undisputable infomation prior to invading my innards. Natrually when the hospital called to confirm my appointment for tomorrow they reminded me that there would be a $250.- co-pay.
So the moral to the story is what? Don't take any wooden nickels anywhere you can spend plenty of greenbacks.
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