Part 2 of 5

CANCER TREATMENT – SURGERY DELAY

I don’t know when it happened

but the pain got worse each day

and by the end of February, I had had all I could take.

My appointment with Dr. Vaklavas and infusion

was on March 5.

Pathological fracture of Vertebra 11 and 12.

They were going to take care of everything:

Cancel the chemo (over $80 co-pay)

Make appointments for radiation and

other procedures with the SOS team.

I’m calling the pain at times unbearable,

Excruciating.

They do nothing so

I contact Dr. Burt, my radiation oncologist.

By some miracle she gets me an appointment

for an MRI at the University Hospital

7 AM Friday 13.

DeRay drives. 

By some miracle she gets the mapping for the radiation

at 9 AM

And around 3, I had two strong radiation treatments.

I couldn’t tell much difference in the pain level.

Dr. Burt arranged for me to meet with Dr. Jill Sindt

I had virtual visit with Jaclyn SOS in Farmington.

Amy and I drove to Salt Lake in about 4” of snow

beautifying the trees, houses and yards.

Especially beautiful around the capitol building and the avenues.

Appointment with Dr. Brogan at 10:20 AM

“Free valet parking, Amy, you won’t have to do a thing.”

Ha! What a mess!

No valet service;

we had to park in the parking garage and walk.

It’s still snowing.

We asked for a wheelchair

but somehow he couldn’t find us.

Then when we got to the front doors,

they wouldn’t let Amy in.

“I need her.”

“She can’t hear.”

Too bad.

So she could either go to the tent

or sit in her car for 3 hours in the cold.

The nurse took my vitals then a play-doctor came in.

I was talking to Amy and hung up when he came in.

I was supposed to leave the phone on

so she could participate in the discussion.

Dumb me.

So when Dr. Brogan came in, I turned my cell phone on speaker

and she could hear everything and talk with us.

He had on a mask and didn’t shake hands and stayed 6 feet away.

He decided that the cement procedure could help alleviate the pain;

also they would shoot radiation into the tumors growing and around it

and eradicate some of them.

He usually operates on Wednesday but he would do it Monday.

I joked that I didn’t eat or drink so they could do it today.

We just caught the window.

How lucky we are.

Amy somehow sprained her ankle

while waiting in the car so she’s a cripple now.

The next two days, nurses called with instructions for surgery

on what to eat and take and all.

Then Friday afternoon, after Amy, Eddy and Carol left

to take Carol to Logan to stay with Verla,

who had recently been released from the hospital after an emergency visit,

the doctor called himself and said the surgery had to be cancelled.

No one over 70 allowed in hospital.

No elective surgery.

Governor’s mandate.

Ouch!

Amy posted this on Facebook:
I'd like to know when we became a society that values one life over another. When we discriminate and decide who gets care and who does not. Who suffers and who gets care. If your over 70, then just suffer and die, there are no other options, you cannot get treatment of any kind no matter how urgent necessary or in pain you are in. It's illegal, immoral, and heartbreaking. All because we can't order some damn gloves and masks."

To Dr. Brogan (who, by the way, is an Irish Citizen): If I talk to you when I'm not hurting so much at the moment, I understand the situation (of the cancellation). If I were to talk to you when I'm in 10 pain, I would not claim to understand. Now seems like the best time. It's might be a year or more before I get help.

SUPPORTIVE ONCOLOGY AND SURVIVORSHIP

CANCER PAIN SERVICE (SOS-PAIN)

Lindsay M Burt, MD

Date received:
03/20/2020 03:46 PM
RE: Medication Question
You should call Dr.Sindt's office. They should not have cancelled your appointment. They must get permission first. Call them and request that you must be seen.
I don’t think you necessarily have new disease in your spine. It is sometimes hard to compare CT to a MRI. Some of the lesions were not noted on prior scan but were seen and then some are now seen but that is likely just due to differences in imaging. Although it is hard to know for sure.
Thanks, Lindsay