Thursday, January 21, 2021

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in January of 2009. Mattie was in NYC receiving an experimental immunological treatment for osteosarcoma. In between appointments at the hospital, we tried to do fun and memorable things with Mattie. Such as going up up to one of the observation floors of the Empire State Building. Everyone working in the building was super nice to us and Mattie and Mattie enjoyed sitting on top of the world!

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins. 

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 24,610,051
• Number of people who died from the virus: 409,641

Since I have gotten home from Los Angeles, I haven't slept well. We have military trucks and police cars stationed on the highway right outside our bedroom window. They have been there for a week, 24 by 7. This entails lights and noises at all hours of the day. I have come home stressed and the environment around me isn't helping. In addition, yesterday I received three calls from my mom. Each call was about an hour long and it involved some sort of issue to address. To me the chaos and frenzy I lived for a month in LA, seemed to follow me home. It is very unsettling getting calls from someone screaming at you. 

This morning I had a conversation with my long time urologist. I have had issues with her in the past, but I have found a way to make our relationship work because she is competent. But today, I had it. She wanted me to take a form of estrogen about six months ago. Not orally, but topically. So the dosage is supposed to be minuscule in comparison to an oral version. However, when I consulted with my gyn-oncologist in September, she gave me great counsel. She said that NO form of estrogen (even a minuscule amount) comes without risks. Risks, I am mean, potential cancer. Of course that is all I had to hear! So I elected NOT to follow the urologist's treatment plan. When my urologist found this out today, I could tell she wasn't happy with my decision, or even that I consulted another doctor about this! TOO BAD! Not only did I sense this, but she said that her services were no longer necessary for me, as I am working with this other doctor! Absolutely absurd, as she is a urologist and the other doctor is a gyn-oncologist! I held it together, and told her outright, that I still needed to be seen by her, given my bladder history! LORD,,,, who is being the doctor??? 

It was my first day back to Roosevelt Island since I got back to DC. Sunny loved it and we saw MANY deer. Can you see this cutie with his antlers?

This evening, we attended a virtual webinar held by Peter's internist. The doctor is converting his practice to concierge service. Which comes with a yearly fee. But in turn you have access to your doctor 24/7, can get appts that day with him, and have longer doctor visits (45 mins, rather than 15-20 mins). This doctor is tired of being regulated by insurance companies and big hospital systems. He wants to be truly dedicated to patient care, and return to the human element.... which is why he said he became a doctor. Some slides were shown tonight. Look at the percentage of physicians who feel they are unable to practice medicine on THEIR OWN TERMS!!!

This slide says it all! Around 75% of diseases in the USA are preventable! Yet the healthcare industry spends only 3% on preventative services! This doesn't come as a shock to me at all. You only have to interface with the healthcare system once to conclude this quickly. As I say often..... I have to be my own doctor and in the process, all my physicians need to be managed by me. Otherwise, my healthcare falls between the cracks.