So....talk about.....CANCER SUPPORT THREAD !!

[maple]

"So, I go in get undressed and get into my gown and go into the other waiting room. I felt kinda uncomfortable - there were 3 men in the waiting room all with their clothes on! Little ole me sitting there in a gown and nothing else..........what was that about? They were there for radiation too, what gives?" inquires Luna.

bet they didn't get a tampon thingy.

 

[3goodeggs]

Ask them if there is some place more private that you can wait. That would make me very uncomfortable.

...and also ask them if there is another computer or transformer delay, if they could come let you know. I mean..why not? At least you could have wiggled a bit.
...or go pee. I mean, tisk. They can do better with very little extra effort IMHO. -well, okay take the 'H' out. There isn't much 'humble' about my opinions.

 

[Lunachick]

Well I'm getting kinda annoyed.............they called me today and because of all the delays and asked if I could come by at 8:00 instead of my regular 6:30, so what am I going to say? I get over there at 8 and they prep me, I get scanned and I wait. 10 min later the door opens, they have to adjust the "thingie". At this point I just want to go home. A little while later I get zapped. I'm done for today.

I have to be at the hospital at 7:00 tomorrow to go to get my port out; check in & get blood work done, and wait 1 1/2 hours for results of the test before they operate which is scheduled for 8:30. Hopefully that won't be a big deal and I can get the hell out of there, get home and relax a little before I have to go thru the radiation routine.

I did see another woman there with a gown on and a couple of men with no gowns. I shoulda asked someone about that - just out of curiosity - but I just wanted to get it over with and go home to bed.

Chemo was a lot easier. Who would have thought?

You're right Gretch I bet those guys didn't get special treatment like I got

I'm asking away tomorrow!

3goodeggs: I'm only 10 mins away from this place, so they call if there is a delay and I can easily just run over there. It's just that my first 2 days there weren't very positive as an experience. Hopefully the next 28 days will be easier and it will be just in 'zap' and out. Otherwise it's going to be a LONG month.

 

[jjthink]

Quote:
I hope so

JJ

 

[#1California Chick]

Quote:
I would have a little "chat" with someone in charge. They seem to have forgotten that YOU are the customer!! I would let them know that their "program" is not very customer friendly! Feel free to make "suggestions"! The added stress can't be good for you! And WE want EVERYTHING to be GOOD for YOU!!!

Cindy

 

[CoyoteMagic]

NO FAIR!! I think the guys need the "special" treatment too. I can just imagine the look on some of those guys faces when something is inserted. DH went for a colonoscopy a few months back. He is really out of it when he opens those pretty baby blues and says with a cracking voice "Mommy, I think I've been violated." (he calls me Mommy because of our furbabys) He looked so pathetic.

Hope things go smoother with the next treatments!

I had my biopsy yesterday. First off Katie scares the crap out of the "intake" lady. (Because Katie is a SD in training she wears her vest and goes where ever we go) She's bored having to sit there in the office waiting for the ladys computer to work. Just one loud bark. Lady jumps clean out of her chair, hand over her throat, "OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!!" I have Lurchie take her out for a walk to calm her down. She comes back in and lays down to chew on her hoof chewy.

They take me back, have me read over some papers and decide that they need to see my CT scan. Back out to the waiting room to get Lurchie to send him over to the surgeons office to pick up the CD that has the CT on it. Back in. They do the ultrasound while we wait.

Lurchie comes back with the CD now we are good to go. Katie is restless from being in and out of the truck repeatedly. Biopsy goes off without a hitch, but out in the waiting room, Katie is acting up with a couple of little kids. She is barking and wanting to play, Lurchie is trying to keep her quiet, and "intake" lady is having heart failure. Eventually he gives up and takes Katie outside where I find them when I'm done.

Results on Friday.

 

[3goodeggs]

Reading your post, it makes me think that places like that need service dog training too! I mean, the dogs will figure out what to do at the right time, but if the people around the dog can't figure out what the dog wants-needs, then what? I know puppy is in training, but still. That is exactly the place they need to be trained.
I think you are special coyote! a woot for you and lurchie!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Thank you. I learned when training my dear Spook, exposure, exposure, exposure. She worked with me in an alternative High School, we're talking America's Most Wanted here, lol. Spook learned to focus on just me and that nothing else existed in her world when we were at work. Nothing phased her. One day we were at Crackel Barrel. A server was trying to help clean a table because it was so busy and was gathering up plates and coffee cups. She moved too swiftly and everything shifted and slid off until the floor, plates, bowls and coffee cups breaking and flying everywhere. One coffee cup slid to a stop not 3 inches from Spooks nose where she was laying under our table. She didn't even twitch. Everybody (customers and staff) were amazed. She just looked up at me with those big brown eye and a halfway smirk. The manager bought our breakfast!

I know what you mean about that being the place that service dog training needs to be done. I've had more trouble in medical facilities than at restraunts with a dog. You think they would know about dogs. Katies vest is bright red,Spooks was neon pink and still we get people who say "I didn't see the vest" I had greeter at Walmart put his hands on me trying to stop me from entering the store. OOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOO, I'm sure you know what happen after that!!


ETA---I'm not the Special One. That's Lurchie he's the one that takes care of me so I can be my crazy self!!

 

[CarolAnn]

I can't read through 115 pages of posts, it's too much to read and too much for me. I just went through the cancer experience with my best friend. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late January. In a nutshell she did 6 wks of chemo (wore a fanny pack with constant low dose) Mon-Fri, radiation Mon-Fri, and on Mondays an experimental treatment that involved a scope that went down her throat to deliver an injection directly into the tumor. After that a brief break then a surgery called the whipple, to remove parts of the liver, stomach, pancreas and intestine. he doc said the procedure was the easiest he'd ever done and he was sure they'd gotten it all. She is considered cancer free. It was a long haul but she went back to her 2nd grade teaching job this fall and is getting her stamina and her life back.

I'll check back with this thread from time to time. I will be praying for all of you, my chicken buds, your families and your doctors. I know from my friend's experience that it's important to keep your life as close to normal as you possibly can so you aren't constantly thinking about the cancer. It's very important for family and friends to help make sure the focus isn't always on you and the disease. I hope you know how I mean this, it's hard to put it into words.

I care and I'm praying. God Bless!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Luna, did you have a PET Scan? Just got a call from the Onc office. I've been scheduled for a PET Scan Friday morning.