Noo and I had an appointment with the UCSF Melanoma Center yesterday, briefly summarized below:
- Jittery nervous energy all morning.
- Grim-faced drive across the Golden Gate Bridge ($6 toll! I remember when it was $3).
- Urban driving moment as I pulled up into a no-stopping zone in front of Mount Zion to let Noo (walking with a cane) off first while I went to park the car.
- Urban parking moment as I squeezed into a too-small parking garage on the next block, narrowly missing people driving Suburbans down the exit ramp at top speed.
- Classic medical office snafu, in which an administrative assistant said, "Oh, your appointment has been cancelled" and we replied "!!!!!!!!"
- Snafu elegantly resolved by squeezing us into the schedule of another of the medical oncologists.
- Jittery nervous energy while we waited an extra hour for the squeeze appointment. Passed time by reading bad design magazines.
- Ushered into a very small exam room.
- Noo changes into the obligatory exam robe. I pillage the handout display and score an order sheet for IV interferon in melanoma.
- Jittery nervous energy while waiting in exam room.
- Oncologist enters, almost on time, and is very nice and humorous, which sets us both at ease.
- Noo's chart missing most of the pathology reports from her recent procedures, despite the 25 phone calls made to various providers offices to release this information.
- However, I am an excellent historian and fill in the blanks.
- Oncologist spends almost 30 minutes discussing different approaches to Stage IIC/IIIA Melanoma (Noo's stage).
- He recommends interferon, and verifies almost to the word my understanding of the research and ACS recommendations for this adjuvant therapy.
- Quick exam of Noo's skin, then handshake and farewell.
- Another urban parking moment when I return to the garage and pay $14 for two and a half hours parking. Muttered curses.
- Another urban driving moment when I have to execute a nifty U-turn to pull up into the same no-stopping zone in front of the hospital to retrieve Noo.
- Pensive drive back to our hotel.
I'm in a jittery nervous head space about all of this, so that's all I'm up to writing right now. More about interferon and urgent progress in interior decorating later.
My eldest sister took interferon for a type of Hep C she got.
It was rough for her and my nephew. My thoughts and prayers go out to "Noo" and you.
Posted by: mommy michael | January 23, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Um, did you accidentally use a real name in the 4th bullet from the bottom?
Posted by: E | January 23, 2009 at 10:14 AM