Tulane

After two grueling days on the south shore, we are home trying to recuperate. Exhaustion mostly. The doctor wanted to protect Gary's kidney's while using the contrast for the CT scan so they did IV fluids. The transplant coordinator called a little after 9:00. She said the scan was scheduled for 2:00 and asked if we could be there in an hour. Well no! It's a two hour drive. I rousted Gary, and we hit the road. That lady wasn't in the building when we got to the cancer center at 11:00. I spotted the doctor's nurse, told her what we had been told, and she got the show on the road.

At a little after 1, she came and told me I needed to go to admitting for the paperwork and meet Gary in radiology. After waiting 30 minutes, I was told that they were unable to make contact with our insurance company which is in Baton Rouge. I told them that the test had to be done, the insurance company would pay for it, and I would sign whatever was necessary. That lady left and I was able to get through to our case manager at the ins co., but my cell phone was breaking up. Gary showed up, another lady came out, I gave her the case manager's number and they FINALLY came back with the papers I could have been working on since 11!

Of course we waited over an hour for Gary to be called back for the scan. Before giving him the contrast, the tech pulled up the labs from Gary's previous hospital stay and came running out asking me for the labs from Shreveport. In our hurry to leave and thinking the doctor needed those papers not knowing these folks would I had left the report on the kitchen table. The tech went back, called the cancer center. The transplant coordinator came, hooked Gary up to more fluids, and drew more blood. Gary lay uncomfortably on that hard little table and we waited for the results. When they came in the kidney function numbers were normal, and the tests proceeded.

It was after 6:00 when the fluids finished. The doctor's nurse stayed late with us and arranged for us to have a room at the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Metairie. Our appointment with the doctor was for 10 the next morning. We were called back for 11, and talked with the doctor but no one had read the CT scan. Gary got some new pain meds, and we came on home. I'll probably call Dr. Oubre tomorrow. We will be rested and, hopefully feel better then.

Thanks for checking on us.
Love to all,
Robbi