Saturday, April 25, 2009

The 'war' on cancer

Click on the comic to enlarge it to a legible size.
I think this summarizes the situation pretty well. The cancer patient at the end is someone I actually 'know' online.

Yesterday's article in the New York Times on the 'war' on cancer provides some further food for thought. The death rates for cancer aren't changing because it hasn't been figured out yet. (I am still waiting for that Star Trek world where cancer has been cured in the 21st century.) Color me cynical but my back hurts.

I was wondering if the anti-inflammatories I have were doing any good. Now that I can't take them, I can tell you they were having an effect. Crabbiness will abound between pain and lack of sleep. Right now my back, neck, shoulder, and hip hurt... Grrr, grr, grr.

I did find out yesterday that my check in time on Monday is 1030am. I said 'I have a 9 am physical scheduled' which the scheduling nurse knew about. The reply I got yesterday was 'if you are late, we will need to cancel and reschedule'. Hello! Not happening. I will not be late. I will go to my first doctor and tell them I have to be at the 1030 appointment. I think I will be fine but if I need blood tests or other follow ups, I may need to return for them in a few days instead of taking care of them right after my appointment. I did ask if I can take an anti-anxiety pill before hand if I start to get stressed (who me?). The answer was I can take anything like that I want as long as I am coherent enough to respond to their requests while on the table. I am not sure how that makes me feel but I think I will definitely take a pill after my physical. I don't think I should go to my physical while 'under the influence'.

In the meantime, I need to pull together my lists to take on Monday - questions to ask, medications I am on (way too long at this point), and allergies. Not looking forward to it.

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