Leland's treatment was in Yakima today with Washington Hematology-Oncology Clinic. It was our 3rd time there. It is not easy to change treatment facilities in the middle of a chemo course. There is the matter of communication between the clinics which the patient or advocate must monitor to make sure all is as the prescribing doctor has directed. Then there is the subtle feeling that we do not really "belong" there, the same feeling we had distinctly the 2 times we went back to Renton after we began going to LA. It is a little uncomfortable, and when we know the amounts of medication are different than the local clinic is wanting to give and insist on calling the clinic in LA for clarification, it seems to be rather an irritant. Its not really overt, but there none the less. We will both be glad when this round of treatments are finished. Then we will be finding an oncologist in Portland who will work with the LA clinic. Hopefully, we can fit in there and feel comfortable that we "belong" and that our doctors are communicating well.
One issue that has me scratching my head; how does a huge infusion room with 15 recliners for patients, all of them occupied, at least 15 or more straight chairs for companions and everyone able to hear all conversations across the room, pass the HIPPA people?? In that type of situation, one could find out one's neighbor, friend or family member has cancer when that person may have wished to keep that information private. Just wondering with all the privacy inconveniences HIPPA has caused, how this one works. I often read to Leland while we are there, but we are quite often distracted by the medical conversations between nearby patients and their nurses or the doctor, and we can hear it all.
Leland's eyes are being affected by the chemo or one of the other drugs and are rather uncomfortable in spite of a couple of medications he got a couple of weeks ago. He has two or three more treatments in September with a break next week, so we are hoping the eye irritation will resolve when the chemo is finished.
We will sign papers on our home on Friday this week, then will be renters for a month while we search for our next place. We have quite a lot of packing done-and quite a bit more to do, but bit by bit and box by box it is coming together. Our buyers are coming tomorrow to help us move the boxes which Mark helped us stage in the garage to the other side. We are going to allow them to use half of the garage for the month we have left, and in return, they will allow us to leave a few things to be picked up later that will not fit on the truck. They really wanted possession on closing, (naturally) but have been very accommodating of our situation. We seem to be able to work well together which is a blessing indeed.
We had to have the septic tank pumped last week. The tank is an oblong shape with two access lids, one of them underneath the bank in front of the house. We had to hire the digging done, and when the contractor came to do the job, decided it was too deep for a shovel, left and came back the next day with his backhoe. It was too large to fit though any of the gates, so Leland had to undo a section of the deer fence to let him in. He did a very good job, coming right up to one of the water lines for the underground sprinklers, but did not break anything. The tank was pumped on Friday while we were gone to town. Sabbath morning Leland looked out the kitchen window, and there was an adult doe in the back yard. First time that has happened since the fence went in. The guy who pumped the tank had left the gate open in the front side yard next to the driveway and we had not noticed it. We were able to herd her out and close the gate before she discovered the roses and made a meal from them. When we got home today, the front gate was open again-this time the guy with the back hoe left it open when he came to fill in the hip deep hole and get his equipment. This time we noticed it, and closed it before any deer came calling.
We have our next trip to LA booked for Sept. 8 and 9. I did some searching last night for one day round trip tickets, thinking that after chemo is finished, we would not need to stay overnight, as the treatments will not take as long as chemo does. Imagine my surprise to find it costs 400 dollars less to buy a package "vacation" which includes a hotel and rental car for one day than to fly back the same day!
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