Well it is now official

16 years 4 months ago #10252 by Julie
Replied by Julie on topic Well it is now official
Yes I'm in Tucson. I just sent you a message.

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16 years 4 months ago #10136 by Marcus
Replied by Marcus on topic Well it is now official
Hi Julie, Are you in Tucson?
Peggy

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16 years 4 months ago #10057 by Gene Beane
Replied by Gene Beane on topic Well it is now official
Julie,
I am here to agree with the phone coverstions with Doctors, it stinks, I was at Target when our urologist called with the path report on his first turt, but if you tell him to call back you are in trouble, I wanted a face to face but I knew the bad news and had to go home and tell Gene he had to have his bladder out. It was the weekend, I waited til Monday , so all in all they need a better way to deliver the news,,it stinks over the phone..just shouldn't be..but you shouldn't be put off either,,you spend your life in the contact mode, we all need secretaries to do our job....we must remind them we are paying them, Ginger

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16 years 4 months ago #10055 by Julie
Replied by Julie on topic Well it is now official
We have a meeting with the urological oncologist next Thursday. You can be sure one of things we will discuss is the best way to have contact with him will be. We wanted this meeting to discuss what chemo agents will be used given all the complications Dick has.

He is also having recurring UTI's another one showed up last night. He is getting symptoms about every 2 1/2 weeks. According to the urologist the plan is to keep treating them when they show up as the bacteria is lurking in the nephrostomy tubes.

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16 years 4 months ago #10018 by wendy
Replied by wendy on topic Well it is now official
Hi Julie,

S**t! I'm so sorry to hear this. But I have read that removing lung mets can really help add to survival, and if someone is up to that it can be worth it.

There are some newer drugs being used that are less toxic to the kidney, carboplatin instead of cisplatin, gemzar is relatively easy compared to many chemos used. Do you know what the drugs already used are, and the new protocol that is planned? Give an update when you do.

That stinks that you have trouble getting through- and have to wait so long for replies. This is actually not acceptable in such a situation and you really must complain to the doctor that you need closer contact during this very serious and tough period.

Best of luck with everything,
Wendy

Hopefully you

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16 years 4 months ago #9955 by Julie
Well it is now official was created by Julie
We met with my husbands thoracic surgeon and heard the pathologist report. The lung tumor was Transitional Cell Carcinoma High Grade a metastasis from the bladder cancer. The largest dimension was 3 1/2 cm. The good news is they removed all of the tumor and there was no sign of it in the pleura.

Next is chemo. Since my husband also has Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) he is chronically anemic and has an oncologist already who has been talking with a urological oncologist at the Arizona Cancer Center. We asked to meet the urological oncologist so we can learn more about the proposed course of treatment and discuss our concerns about the impact on Dick's bone marrow and kidneys and what measures will be taken to help protect him. Dick has renal insufficiency also.

I get so frustrated trying to communicate with doctors in this town over the phone. The person who takes messages for the oncologist is never at her desk and does not get back to us for days and he wants Dick to start Chemo next week as it will be 3 weeks post surgery.

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