We went back to see Dr. Schlabach. Ken described his symptoms and Dr. S. did blood work and a physical exam. He said Ken would need a new CT. So, off to the imaging center we went–AGAIN. I had learned after the first CT that Ken could NOT drink two glasses of that gloppy stuff if he wanted to. So I had to take a syringe and push it through his feeding tube. If you’ve never been to an imaging center before, they have a main waiting room where everybody waits and then they have a couple of more private waiting rooms where you wait once you have changed into one of those lovely hospital gowns. Only problem is, they have one private waiting room for women and another private waiting room for men. There was not a place where Ken and I could go in private where I could push the stuff through his feeding tube. We couldn’t do it in the main waiting room, not only for sanitary reasons, but because it would have grossed other people out. We always ended up in the men’s private waiting room. We always had to apologize to the other guys who were waiting and for the most part, they were always gracious and accommodating. I could tell, though, some of them were a little uncomfortable with me in there while they waited in their states of undress.
We went back to see Dr. S. a couple of days later. He said the CT was “unchanged”. “Well,” I said, “I guess that’s good news, but Ken is still hurting. What now?” Dr. S. said that we would need to go back to the gastroenterologist for a new endoscopy. So, his nurse called and got us an appointment for that. The gastroenterologist’s office was all the way over in North Chattanooga and they could schedule the scope quicker at the hospital over there, so that’s where we went. There I was, again, in a waiting room while Ken was having an endoscopy done. That was the type of scope he had the day we first found out he had cancer. I was nervous–to the point of tears–but I was determined to keep myself together for Ken’s sake. When the scope was over, the Dr. (I wonder why I can’t remember his name) came out and said that he didn’t see any new cancer, but that he had taken biopsies again and he would call Dr. Schlabach with the results. We went home to wait–AGAIN.
A couple of days after that, Dr. Schlabach’s nurse called to tell us that the endoscopy and biopsies did not indicate the presence of any new cancer. What should have been cause for relief was rapidly becoming cause for frustration. Everybody was saying there was no new cancer, but Ken was hurting worse every day. I told the nurse that I was glad to hear positive results from the endoscopy, but that there was SOMETHING WRONG with Ken. She told me we could come back in and talk to Dr. S. again and see what his recommendation would be now.
Back we went to Dr. Schlabach’s office. Ken was having such trouble walking, that I was having to let him out at the door of the Medical Mall so he could sit down on a bench and wait until I was able to park the car. I think I even borrowed one of the hospital’s wheelchairs that day so Ken could ride up. When Dr. S. came in, he patiently went back over all of Ken’s results. He said that there was no indication of new cancer. I said, “It is his back that is hurting. Maybe we should have a bone scan.” Dr. S. replied, “It is very rare that Ken’s kind of cancer would go to bone.” “Okay”, I countered, “then why is Ken’s back hurting and why can’t he bear weight on his left leg?” Dr. S. said it was probably residual weakness from the chemo and radiation. I said, “Shouldn’t we do a bone scan to make sure that’s all it is?” He said (AGAIN!!!), “It’s just so rare for this type of cancer to metastasize (spread) to the bones.” He then went on to say that bone scans are very expensive tests and he knows how much we’ve spent already.
By this time, I was about ready to scream. I looked over at Ken’s pained, sunken eyes. Then I looked straight in the doctor’s face and said, as calmly as I could manage, “Dr. Schlabach, there is something wrong with my husband. I think we need a bone scan. Now, I am a large woman–it would probably take three or four men to move me. But I am NOT going to take one step out of this office until you schedule Ken for a bone scan!” He smiled (I guess he thought I was playing, but I absolutely was not) and said, “Okay, I’ll tell the nurse to schedule it if it will put your mind at ease.” We left the office with an order and appointment for a bone scan.
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