Another bizarre session with the Prof today – only a 2 hour wait to see him (I thought this was meant to be high quality private health care, but apparently they can still book in 5 sets of patients at the same time and hope the Daily Telegraph and some biscuits can keep you busy for several hours…)
The good bits: Paraprotein now dropped one more notch to the lowest ever score – 3! Which is great – means am still in partial remission and with any luck it will keep edging its way ever downwards and off the scale entirely. That won't mean that I'm cured (ah, if only) but does mean that the beast is firmly locked in its box and not doing damage.
Am on 3 weekly visits to Prof now, so you kind of live on tenterhooks a bit till you get the scores on the doors each time, but that's just the way its gonna be. He seems v happy with my state of physical health although did ask me somewhat out of the blue if I 'had dark thoughts' – ie if I was suicidal at all! Felt like saying that I certainly hadn't been, but if he kept dodging my questions (like I dodge salad) then that might change… Which leads me to the bad bits..
The bad bits: Just how hard is it for him to answer a question?!!! While I know there are some that he can't answer, when I ask about the technical bits in my blood/bone marrow makeup, that I painstakingly glean are of importance on the internet, he either says something incredibly annoying like 'why don't you be the clever girl that you are and let me worry about that' (GGGGGRRRR!!!!) or 'what do you want to hear?' – meaning 'I'll frustrate you and block your question as I have no intention of explaining it properly to you' (DOUBLE GGGGGRRRRR!)
Which ended up with me in tears just for a change, him being arsey and a mexican stand off as the queue behind me built up in the waiting area… till he then decided to hug me, tell me how important I am to him etc and end on a high note. I wonder if he says that to all the girls??
Of course you have to put a reasonable level of trust in any medical professional – and he didn't become a Professor by waving a magic wand – but more information is useful so you know how you stack up on the great chart of Myeloma Nonsense and what's to be looked out for, ignored, borne in mind etc.
Anyway – its good for now and that's what counts. As Oliver will say when we go see the show this Saturday: 'Please Sir, can I have some more?' Of the same.
Off to Janine & Ross's cottage this Fri/Sat, then Oliver on Sat eve (with Clare Greenwood) and a few 10oz Watermelon Martinis in Sophie's Steakhouse I shouldn't wonder), then down to the boat with Hawksey to hole up in the glorious Easter showers on Sun & Mon. Boo that our favourite cocktail house is shut – do these people also get a Bank Holiday? Outrageous when I have a thirst on, but am sure we can knock up a mojito or two sur le bateau to keep the damp out….
Happy short working weeks and long weekends to all - we're then off to France next weekend so no full weeks of wage slavery till May – hurrah!
S x
Comments
One response
Another comment to bump up those statistics ……..
Having now read further down the page. I feel a litte whoop inside every time I read that the paraprotein level is dropping and it sure makes my day, so can only imagine how it makes you feel. Glad you’ve got such a strong, support network and that the exercise has started. Prof at least can hug you, even if he refuses to give the answers required to relieve a girl’s worry. Thank goodness you don’t have the social space difficulties that I have else you’d probably have knocked his lights out. France sounds like great fun, hope you have a good relaxing time. Speak to you soon. Lydsx