HIPPA Hope

**Caution: If you are the HIPPA police stop here.  Do not proceed with reading this blog entry.**

There are certainly benefits to being a physician.  I wouldn't know but my sister, Kim, certainly would!  Having access to your family's medical information is probably not a benefit that is given enough credit; maybe it has something to do with HIPPA?

The days after our most recent visit to the oncologist were hazy.  We were all doing our best to stay positive; stay busy; keep our minds on the present. 

The highlight of our Memorial Day Weekend?  Michel and I put up the newly purchased playset in the yard only to find we were missing one of the last pieces.  I guess that is why they say you should do inventory on everything when you unpack it.  Does anyone actually do that?

Needless to say, things weighed heavy on all our minds.  No matter how much we tried to busy ourselves with other tasks.

Kim must have been thinking about the fact that we never got the official reading of the CT scan from the radiologist.  The surgeon and oncologist gave us their opinions, but the doctor trained to read the fuzzy black and white blobs had not given his expert thoughts.  This is where the access to family information comes in handy; Kim looked up my mom's chart to see what the radiologist had to say. 

Not a direct quote, but close: "Given the development over a short interval and the small size of the primary pancreatic tumor as well as the absence of hepatic metastases, the nodules (spots in the lungs) are likely infectious and less likely metastases."

Was cancer still a possibility?  Absolutely.  Are we all still nervous and anxiety-ridden?  No doubt.  But it allowed us to sleep a little better at night and push the positive thoughts to the forefront of our minds.

Other updates included the initial consultation with Dr. Podgaetz, the thoracic surgeon.  I wasn't able to attend but according to the retired lady with pancreatic cancer he's a hunk.  Not surprising and I am sure when I meet him I'll agree; he is from Mexico and we all know how I feel about those Latin Lovers.

Dr. Podgaetz wanted Mom to be at least 4 weeks from her last chemo before under going the thoracic procedure so it was rescheduled to June 10th.  He told her that he wouldn't normally jump straight to an invasive surgery and typically would first recommend a 4-week course of very strong anti-fungal medication but given the desire to stay on schedule as much as possible for the bigger surgery, he understood.  He actually asked my mom, in complete seriousness, "Are you going to be upset with me if I allow you go undergo this surgery only to tell you that it wasn't anything to worry about?"  Mom laughed and told him she would hug him if that was the news he delivered!  (Personally, I think it will just be an excuse to hug him!)