My Journey

My check in time was 9 am, but the hotel shuttle was hourly so I took the 8 am figuring I’d hang out in the waiting room.  Checked in at 8:10 and was literally whisked to an exam room with nurses and tech’s hovering around.  Doctor shows up within minutes and the first thing out of her mouth was “please don’t move your head” , followed by “how fast can I get your wife in here.”  I started to shake my head as I said I don’t know I’ll have to get transportation for her as she prefers not to drive in the city.  The doc grabbed me and said “I’m not kidding, don’t move your head.  The PET scan indicates that one of the vertebrae in my neck was fully involved and probably very brittle.”  OKAY, now I’m paying attention.

In addition to that, I had lesions on my adrenal gland and one on my small intestine and the brain showed 6 with enough size to count and numerous “floaters”.

The doctor  tracked my wife down because she didn’t want anyone at the work give her staff the runaround.  Had M on the phone in 3 minutes and they arranged for my brother to pick her up and get her to Boston.

A specialist arrived to brace my neck and then I started listening to the Doctor.  My biopsy was postponed while the team worked out a plan.  Amazing how well technology works today.  The “team” was spread out all over the two campuses of the hospital, but were all able to see all the scans and my history and use teleconferencing. It’s old hat now, but what a time saver. While that was going on they arranged for a neck MRI during which time M and my brother arrived.  When I got settled back in the clinic the doctor briefed us all and made arrangements for the Chief of the Spinal Department to see me.  Got my first ambulance ride ever  to the “East Campus” (one whole block, cost $800)  My whole entourage, M, brother Charlie, and my assigned nurse, were crammed into a small exam room as the specialist looked over the neck MRI.

Here’s where I join the “Luckiest Man Alive Club.“  The doctor informs us all that the structure of the spinal column (vertabrae) is not involved  and that the tumor is in the spinal column inside the C3 vertebrae.  The amazing thing is that this is potentially fatal SOON  and I don’t have a single symptom. Not one, NADA. Zilch.

So I get released from the neck gear and received permission to walk back to the other campus, so off we go.  I lead the group out of the east campus and we cross Brookline Ave.  Now you really have to picture this.  It’s a cold day in January, I’ve got sweat pants and a johnny top covered by my SAAB bomber jacket with a woolen Patriots hat.  I crossed diagonal on the walk with the johnny flying.  I didn’t give a dang about what people thought.  I nearly ran to the other campus.  They were all working hard to keep up.  The johnny was flapping in the breeze.  Yes, Charlie did get a picture on his cell camera.

After settling back into the chest clinic it was decided that they were going to fit me in for later in the afternoon, but the team had decided to admit me to allow for more tests and consultations so Charlie and M headed home.  When I woke up after the biopsies I was told that both the lungs and the adrenal gland were biopsied as planned and the results would be available in the am.

Shortly after that I was sent over to the East Campus where I was admitted.

Great Hospital.  Great medical team.  I am the luckiest man alive.

I’ll continue this on in the main blog in installments.