Tuesday and More Disappointments

I waited all day yesterday for a call back from Dr. Peaster, the urology doctor that did my bladder surgery. He never called. I called twice yesterday and then again just before 5:00 when the office closed. The receptionist said he had been in surgery all day and would call me today. Well, it's 1:30 now and I still have not heard from him. I called the office at 10:30 and made an appointment to see him at 11:00 next Tuesday. He did the failed surgery and I feel he should be the one to redo it. We'll see how that goes.

I have not had a good track record with most doctors. Dr. Smithson, who did my hysterectomy when I was 30 and later did my surgery for my hernia, did a good job. He actually spent time with me each time I saw him.  He was a "person" doctor. I can't say that for Dr. Peaster.

Then before my Bob died we had a doctor we both loved...Melissa. However, notwithstanding the PET scan, the CT scan, the MRI, his cancer was never detected. He had developed lymphademia in his left arm. It swelled and hurt terribly. Our doctor sent him to a lymphademia massage therapist three times a week but that didn't help either.  We had a surgeon who did not want to do his biopsy because of his type 2 diabetes but told our family doctor that we had refused to have it done.. In other words....he lied. I'm not surprised that our hospital finally fired him.

After that, we were seeing my husband, Bob's, dermatologist and he suggested we see a Bartlesville radiologist who would do a "needle" biopsy.  He even got us an appointment that day and we went right up to see that doctor. He immediately scanned Bob's chest and after looking at the computer screen said,  "Well, this is cancer. We just won't know what kind until the biopsy comes back". Then he did the needle biopsy. That was on a Wednesday. On Friday, the biopsy came back. It was squamous cell carcinoma.  It had spread throughout his body and settled in his lungs. The prognosis was "days". My younger son, Scott, was due to be deployed again to Iraq but the doctor sent a letter with the results of the biopsy to his commanding officer and the Red Cross got his deployment cancelled and he came home to help me with his dad. The doctor suggested we should call in Hospice. He died a week later...the day before his 80th birthday.

More.. back in the early 2000s I had surgery for a bunion on my right foot. That was successful. Then in 2003, I had the same doctor do the left foot. That one failed. I showed it to the doctor that did the surgery and he said my only recourse was the "Keller" procedure. I looked that up. They evidently remove the protruding bone and put a rod in the big toe. It is only for people who have terrible pain. I don't have terrible pain but I do have to wear a very wide shoe in the winter and fall and sandals in the summer. I also have to set my left foot on top of my right foot when I sleep. Otherwise rubbing the bunion on the sheets in the night makes it hurt and keeps me awake.

Now this surgery....another failure.

I had the roast in the slow cooker while I went to have my hair done. It cooked three hours with potatoes and carrots and then I set the slow cooker on low to keep it warm. It was good but dry.  We will have it again on Thursday and I have made some brown gravy to go on that meat. Maybe that will help.

I have a 10:30 appointment in Caney in the morning to get my eyes checked. My brother-in-law, Bob, has a 9:30 appointment with Dr. Eslicker's office. He will drive himself down and will see the Nurse Practitioner because he forgot his appointment with the doctor yesterday. I will drive down to Bartlesville myself after my appointment and we will eat at McCalister's.  I want to see the podiatrist, Dr. Webb, while we are there. I want to see if he can do anything about that right foot's bunion.

Today, I am depressed. It's been a rough weekend and a half.

Today I checked into what a passport will cost. I was told it would be $150. plus the photo...so perhaps $160. I will probably go to Bartlesville to have it done. That post office will also do the photo. Ours in Independence will send me to Walgreen's for the photo. There's no rush. The cruise my daughter-in-law and son are sending me on with them and her mother isn't until next June. I hope to have both my foot and my bladder repaired by then.

I am looking forward to the Alaska cruise.

More even later...I have vented...thanks for listening!!

Here's something to cheer me up. Missy ignores the little solar cat Leslie gave me for Mother's Day. She simply ignores it. Missy has more personality then any cat I've ever had and I've had a few.

Well, this morning I set it in the sun to get it's glow. Missy went over and laid down and finally...after all this time...looked at it. I grabbed my camera and took this photo.

Of course, you realize it was in the sunshine and Missy loves to lay in the sunshine.

More later...

I've made peanut butter criss cross cookies this afternoon and even ate one of them. Then I read the paper and did the crossword puzzle. In about 25 minutes the news will be on and I will watch that this evening. I laid down awhile with Missy this afternoon. I even took her out briefly but it was too hot for her so she wanted back in.

More even later...

Dr. Peaster never did call today.

My brother-in-law, Bob, came over at 5:00 to watch the news and left after it was over.

I took my bath and laid down with Missy to watch TV.  In about an hour, I'll go to bed.