Friday, May 1, 2009

back to the source

During the day I get a call from the hospital that my MRI was on a wednesday, i said my next appointment at the radio clinic was wednesday. She then said I call you back. Later she calls and say keep the MRI at ipoh at 8 and reschedule the radio. The MRI appointment was as usual a precious item, ie highly overbooked, don't miss it. She says the the radio will call you back.

I decide to stay at a hotel as it will cost almost as much to go home and come back but wake up at 5am or something. Next day I go straight to the hospital. I go to neuro to hand the letters. I wait, I wait, it's 8. Where is everyone. I sneak a peak to find a doc and find one. It just happens to be the doc I was supposed to see. I hand the letters and my appointment card and get the MRI letter and go to the imaging dept.

I go to the MRI area and change to the usual patient garb but get to keep my underwear. Funny, I happen to be wearing underwear today, its not the usual case. I mention the metal screws so they spend the next 15 minutes trying to get the metal detector working ie find the misplaced batteries. Eventually they just take the neuro's word that it's MRi safe and send me in.

It's nosy in the machine. After a while I get out but the doc says waiting a minute, injection time. Damn I thought I wasn't going to get the contrast. Lucky I didn't know otherwise I would have been anxious all day. But I sucked it in. I was a little uncomfortable as usual. Then back in.
Another 15 mins then it was done and get out.

I go back to the neuro and was told to deliver the other letter at the pathology dept. After handing that over I was done.

second time round

The next week, same thing, drive 3 times around the hospital looking for parking. At 10 the staff parking opens to the public. After 30 minutes plus looking for parking the staff parking opens and we take one. I go to the clinic.

I see the nurse who says wait here. I take a trip on a massaging chair while I wait. Wonder why this chair thing costs so much to buy. By the time it was my turn, the machine broke down. Damn, what a wasted trip. I need to retry next week, what's more I have to deliver 2 letters to Ipoh to get an MRI and try to get a sample of a sample they took from my tumour.

Then I go to work, waste of a morning.

radio therapy

the week I go to see the radiotherapy and oncology specialist. I was late again. The lack of parking didn't help either. It's just that there was no parking. I wonder why they made the LRT station at kg baru. There's nothing there! Why didn't they put it where it would be of great use, the hospital. It's the main hospital in the country! Such small brains.

I get there at 10 for an appointment at 9. It was packed. I sat next to a guy who has a ticket 2009. He says he's been here since 9. The current serviced number is 2001, my number was 2011. My god at this rate I won't see the doc till dinner time.

I did finally see the doc. She just asks some simple questions about my journey and that was it. The doc decided on radiotherapy. Go see the radio dept.

I go there and they give me wednesday next week. I will need to undergo a ct simulation for them to plan where to shoot the radio active stuff. And I will also need a mask to put on my head, to keep my head still and also to mark where to shoot. Better than marking my head.

Then that was it. I go. Nothing much I will also get a contrast solution when scanned. I hate contrast solution, it means a needle. I will also need to take some steroids the night before the scan and fast.