It was back to Boston yesterday, back, that is, to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, or BIDMC for short. According to Lady Google, Beth Israel is one of the top teaching and research hospitals in the country. It's the main teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School. It's a huge facility and I can't speak for all the departments, but the hematology/oncology department where I'm treated is like a family, albeit a very highly skilled and efficiently operating but warm and personal family. When I go to the seventh floor I feel like I'm coming home. From my doctor to the nurses to the office staff, they all make me feel like I'm the only patient there. And I'm sure all the other patients feel the same way.
Yesterday was another day of blood-letting and X-rays, specifically a CT scan (pretty easy except for drinking the two quarts of barium). My numbers were all very good, my sodium is up again, well into the normal range, and my lymphoma has shrunk. So the doctor is very happy, I'm happy, Nancy's happy and I feel great, eating like crazy and walking 2-3 miles again. The doctor is pretty sure my fever is due to prostratitis, so I'll be on two more weeks of antibiotic to hopefully knock the infection out. I get my third round of chemo Friday and if all goes well, the only side effect will be some more hair falling out (yes, there's still some there, but not much).
Finally, I have to mention the NP, Jason, who is my first contact point at BIDMC. He is extremely knowledgeable and just a great guy and he's a great complement to my oncologist, Dr. T. I have complete confidence in both of their diagnoses and prescriptions. And special credit must be given to Editor Nancy for her contributions to this post. It looks a lot better now than when I first gave it to her to edit (I slipped in this last part).
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