Just Before the Biopsy

You will think I have been kidnaped and replaced by a person who doesn't OVERTYPE every blog entry.

But no. It's really me. [post script: As you will see, I did go ahead and overtype this entry.]

I have to be brief because we are rushing to get over to the biopsy place. [If you believe I'm going to be brief...]

This whole experience has taken place in a blender of one part mild confusion, one part serious confusion, and one part total confusion. No one knows what is going on, people are giving us wrong information, wrong phone numbers. It's like the government took over management of this place. Hey.....could that have happened?

Anyway, Bill is the one to feel sorry for right now. He is going through his normal morning of extreme nausea and digestive problems, which he can only assuage using special chocolate drinks and Pepto Bismol, etc, but this morning, he isn't allowed to have even a sip of water. At least, according to half the people who told us what to do.

Plus, we were, as it turns out, erroneously told to call some office at 7 am today, so we set the alarm and I did that, and after being passed through several people, no one had the slightest idea why we were told to call that number. At least they did agree he has the biopsy at 10:30, but he didn't have to wake up so early and now just lie here till then with pain and no food or water.

As I write this, he is wrapped up in the bed covers, miserable, and just asked me if I thought he could take pain medication for his pain. I said I just didn't think so, since someone along this chain of surreality told him he might get general anesthesia. But someone else told us no WAY would he get general anesthesia for a biopsy. So I told him split the difference and take half a pain pill, but he's scared to now. Oh my gosh.

Then the same individual who told us to call that number, also told us he should bring his suitcase as he might have to spend the night in the hospital Friday night. First we'd heard of that. And this was a telephone scheduler telling us this.

WHAT?

The new doctor is horrible, looks like a character on the Simpsons, said about 6 words then literally backed out of the room while Bill was talking to him, and left us with the nurse and ZERO information. We had to track down people to tell us where the biopsy even took place, in another building completely.

And the ONLY thing that happened yesterday, was that they took ONE vial of blood. They couldn't have done that this morning? We spent a whole day fooling around driving over here and a night in a hotel so someone could draw one vial of blood yesterday?

Yes. We miss Dr. Torti more than we fully yet fathom, I'm sure. No wonder he got out of here. We're thinking Vanderbilt Cancer Center for our next try.

See? I said I'd be short, and I wasn't. More later. No news at all except that we are floating through the chaos. And hoping that the telephone switchboard operator's information we received about an overnight was just part of a bad dream so we can be home this afternoon. (I'll be home either way, for the dogs, but Bill does NOT want a night here. In fact, he might refuse. At one point, we were both so upset that we considered skipping even the biopsy. Then Bill's IQ prevailed, and we will have the biopsy.)

Love to you. Wish it all seemed funnier. Later, it will. Wait till you hear all about the new doctor.

Prayer: Jesus, if you're a-comin' back, now'd be a darned good time. You can have our hotel room.