Thursday, November 23, 2006

David's Update

Kelly is very tired, so I thought I would fill in for her. She started radiation therapy last Monday and has had three treatments so far. The first day was really tough, she spent over 2 hours on the table and wasn't very comfortable. The radiation is causing her to be very nauseous and she's throwing up. The doctor prescribed new medication to help her, but it's not working too well.

The positive side is that she already thinks the radiation is working. I thought it was too soon, but the doctor at UC San Francisco said she could easily feel something after two or three treatments. She's got 19 to go.

The doctor at UC San Francisco was something else. He looked and acted kind of like the nutty professor. It would have been funny if he wasn't dealing with somehting so serious. He left the consultation twice to go look something up on the internet. I'm thinking it was "Meningnoma's for Dummies!". The end result is that Kelly cannot start chemo while she's going to radiation, her body would be too susceptible to infection.

He prescribed a new medicene that might work on her other tumors while they are radiating the hip and upper spine/neck. Of course, when I went to get the prescription filled, Blue Cross wouldn't fill it without the doctor filling out more paperwork. It costs $3,000 a month for this new medicene. Maybe we should try and get it from Canada. As we were leaving UC SF, we asked the doctor if he thought the medicene would work and to quote him: "I don't think so, but we'll try it anyway." He needs work on his bed side manner to say the least.

We had a good Thanksgiving today. Marla made an awesome meal. We're stuffed and laying in bed watching Ugly Betty. It's time for us to go to sleep. I hope everyone had a good day today.

5 comments:

Nicole said...

David - thanks for keeping us up-to-date on things. :) Nicole

Anonymous said...

David and Kelly, Nutty Professor, amazing what type of people become Doctors. They can be pretty quirky. I've spent the last two months with Doctors and Nurses, seems the nurses are the most practical since they are with the patient the majority of the time.
Thanks for letting us know what is happening and David give a hug to Kelly and Marla for me. Thanks and love you. Cher

Anonymous said...

Kelly, Suzanne sent me the link to your blog. Don't forget, I live in the Bay area now (Belmont), so let me know if there's anything I can do to help out in any way, I'd be happy to run errands or visit, anything. Send me an email, vickiebinks@hotmail.com, xxoo Vickie

Anonymous said...

Hey Kelly - if it isn't just like you to blaze the way in everything you do. Why not have something no one has seen before - that way they can name the treatment after you and write lots of medical journals about your amazing recovery from which others will be saved. You are, as always, someone amazing I will look up to. When you feel up to some company, I can come visit you since I am close by in San Jose, so just let me know when you are bored to tears and I can come and amuse you. Prayers and Love to you.

Anonymous said...

Hey Kelly it's Paul & Jen, first things first, lets get to the most important stuff. I agree completly with getting rid of Dish Network. I think Direct TV is so much better. I will be switching to all Verizon for internet, phone and TV. So, when the TV is available, I have a HD receiver and Tivo unit I can give to you so you can record all of these highly informative and educational shows, if you don't get one before. We are always checking your blog for the lastest update. When you do get better we would like to come up for a visit. We haven't seen you two for a while. I know being the kind of person you are you will get through this. At times things seem to get worse before they get better. Everything is ok down this way. So take care and tell David we said hi.
We love you and will keep in touch.