Let me start by saying, those of you who know me know that I am easy going and I get along with most people. We love coming to OU Medical Center and have had a good experience overall. However, early this morning the ER receptionist saw the NOT So NICE side of me. It took me raising my voice and getting nasty with them. I told him that we had driven 4 hours up there and sat in the ER waiting room 7 1/2 hours and I was about to page Dr Holter, who had told us to come up and get a CT scan. We didn't know if he had a tumor, or could have a stroke or what! He told me that he would find out what they could do in the back.
Apparently I rose enough of a stink, they called his name within two minutes at 1am. Dr Godfry in the ER examined Stevan and finally got him in for a CT scan around 3am. Afterward I was able to grab a few Z's by sitting in a straight back chair sideways with my head resting on the walls rail. I'm sure I looked a sight, but I felt a bit better. Around 4:30am the results came back. He has a mass behind his left eye which is making his eye protrude outward.
Dr Godfry called in the emergency eye doctor to come evaluate his eyes. She determined that his eyesight is 20/20 and the mass is not attached to or has any connection to the eye or the optic nerve. The mass is simply pushing his eye outward, which is causing him to have problems with double, blurred and problems with his sight.
About 5:30am, we were told that the BMT unit was having him admitted to room 750, to then determine what they needed to do with the mass. Dr Selby, from the transplant unit, came to visit and evaluate Stevan next. He explained that the mass was more than likely a plasmacytoma, caused by the plasma cells, where they multiply and crowd out normal blood cells, forming a tumor/mass. They want to take a biopsy of the mass, but they are concerned on how to exactly do that. Their first comment was "Can we stick a needle in and through your eye to grab a tissue sample?" WHAT? We don't think so. We had two doctors come in from the Eye Institute to evaluate his eyes, yet again. They concluded that they would follow his progress, but when it comes to getting the biopsy, they were recommending the neuro unit to get involved.
Dr Selby discussed with us the options we had to treat the mass after the biopsy. One option is they can treat the mass with radiation, but that could risk and damage the eye. Second to treat with chemo medicines, Dexamethasone (or there was something else he rattled off to use) and hope that it shrinks it down. Finally, they might be able to take it out.
They got a chest x-ray and did a lot of labs, including the 24 hour urine sample, to check out the myeloma levels in his system. They are looking at his back again and the problems he's having with it.
This afternoon we got some sleep. I forgot to bring my glasses, so I took out my contacts and went blind for a while to rest my eyes.
I figure we will be here for several days. I doubt if we get any answers until Monday. Thank you for the prayers. More updates to come tomorrow.
Us before Myeloma
Celebrating our 5 year Anniversary a few days early. Wow! We've both changed over the past few years.
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