September 8 Thursday 2011

Thursday September 8 2011
Roger's appointment with urologist at 2:30pm
Don't remember if I mentioned the case manager,  but she is taking care of all the phone calls to make sure the meds are where they need to be when Roger needs them,
making sure the docs are where they should be, and know what they are supposed to know to deal with Roger.
So today's appointment with the urologist is the last visit for prostate cancer, the urologist is now the secondary specialty doc, now for urology problems only.
It is a nice visit.
Roger checks in and we sit in the waiting room.
I know in all probability we will be there a while.
So I ask Roger
"Where do you want to eat?"
he laughs
says "Where do YOU want to eat?"
I say "Don't even ask"
and we talk about the places close by and decide on Steak and Shake again,  we are becoming regulars there at Happy Hour (2-4 pm M-F) 1/2 price drinks including shakes.
1/2 price of course, unless they charge you for two unsweetened ice teas when you only order one, and they only bring you one (but I digress, and they haven't actually over charged us since the first time)
Soon, the nurse calls Roger back.  They don't take his weight here, just hand him a cup.
Roger apologizes for yelling at her back in April over a medication problem.  She accepts his apology and says it happens.
She points to the exam room for me as Roger heads for the restroom.
I go sit in the exam room, Roger comes in and sits, the nurse follows him in.
She asks the nurse questions.
then Roger explains why we are here:
to let Doc know he won't be back unless his speciality is needed for symptoms that occur urologically, that all the prostate cancer problems will be handled by the oncologist.
Ok, the doc will be in soon.
and
the doc is in soon and Roger tells the doc the same thing he told the nurse.
Then Roger looks and the doc and says
"thanks for keeping me alive the past 9 years"  Roger has tears in his eyes, and his voice is shaky.
He shakes doc's hand and the doc shakes my hand and he says he will be here if needed.
And so we leave the urologist's office (of course, with copayment and paper work in hand)
This last regular visit occurred because our case manager arranged for the hormone shot and prescriptions from the urologist to be dispensed at the oncologist.  And we are happy about the case manager, we are tickled pink.
I am jumping for joy, it takes a huge load off (making calls between docs, nurses, hospitals, surgeons, prescription drug company and health insurance company can be time consuming (sometimes 4 hours in a day)and frustrating .