Friday, September 24, 2010

September 2010 Notes

This month's test results were the same as those for previous months. No surprises there. Meanwhile, I have been visiting some of the other physicians in my life.

The cardiologist didn't even bother with a fresh EKG; based only on a visual inspection and a simple vitals check, he finally authorized me to return to its owners the supplemental oxygen equipment that had been cluttering up my garage for the past year. Barring some intervening disaster, he doesn't want to see me for another year.

My primary care doc has resumed the mundane tasks associated with, well, primary care: screening me for prostate cancer, checking blood lipids, prodding my lymph nodes. As you may recall, prior to June of last year, she had me on Lipitor for elevated cholesterol; that was in the oncologist's way when he began treating me, so I haven't taken it since. He's completely open to my resuming this therapy, if that's what she decides I should do. But from now on, the myeloma will be the elephant in the room whenever any health-related action is being contemplated for me; she is always going to have to get a green light from the oncologist for whatever it is she wants to do. In the case of cardiovascular issues, she will need to consult with the cardiologist as well.