Good Idea Bob:

2nd, 3rd opinons, all around!!!!

They clogged up Alan's ivig machine again. So he'll be there another 3 hours.

No big deal!!!!

I AM HOWEVER, getting the impression (especially from that substitute neurologist yesterday), that some of these SPECIALISTS don't want to give you the time of day!!!!

That is not the case with Dr. Fred, Alan's other doctors, or Dr. Goldfarb. Dr. Goldfarb, while she's a very busy lady, when you are in her office, she is focused on you, the patient, she's not hurrying you through, (like the guy did yesterday).

Why do some doctors hurry you though? Don't they know that patients are fearful, have lots of questions and just want a plain simple factual answer. Not some gobbledygook they throw at you. I don't understand doctors sometimes.

Here's a good example of what I mean? The guy across from Alan is almost 90, in the end stage of alzheimers and cannot go home. They just found a tumor in his bladder. This doctor comes up to his 88 year old wife and says "This is what I want to do, I want to operate on your husband under local anaesthetic, and stop the bleeding". (now guys, You know how they'll do this right??? I don't have to go into details!! ) Well, the look of horror on this poor old lady's face said it all. She goes: "Wait a minute, I don't want to torture my almost 90 year husband, are you crazy". He's not coming home, can't we just make him comfortable???. " The doctor goes "well, you do what you have to do". I know what she wanted the doctor to say. We all do.

So she walks over to me after the docor leaves (I'm sitting with Alan) and she's crying and she goes "what do I do, I don't want to torture him any more, they are doing these things to him, they are puncturing him, he's crying". I said (and call me wrong, crazy, I don't care). I said "hon, you don't have to do anything, is this the end stage of this man's life?" and she said "yes". I said "he sounds like he was a wonderful husband and father and grandfather (all the people around his bedside attested to this fact). She beamed and said "he was the best". I then said (and shoot me if I'm wrong), "then let him go with peace and dignity and in no pain".
She looked like the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders. I then said "If you have further need of speaking to someone, they have counselors here, speak to a pastoral care person, if you need to come to a conclusion that you can live with". She said "Oh, I can live with this and I know my children can live with this, why doesn't the doctor tell me what to do?" I said "hon, at times like these, it's up to the next of kin (I think that's what I was supposed to say).

Anyway, she made the decision, and they are putting him in hospice.

This has nothing to do with Alan, I know but I saw such pain and indecision.
And the neurologist who saw Alan yesterday, well he couldn't wait to get out of there. He just did his cursory check up of Alan and nodded at me and then left. I knew it was useless to badger him. Badgering gets you no-where. I'll save my questions for Dr. Goldfarb and Dr. Fred.

And don't worry, I'll hog tie him to the chair if Alan comes home and says "I've decided to do the nerve biopsy".

I'll just threaten him with NO MORE MUFFINS OR MY VEGGIE PATTES!!

That'lll do it!!!!

Today I'm making a roasting chicken, sweet potatoes, veggie patties and of course, my muffins.

Anybody want to come for dinner!!!!!

lol
Melody