Chapter 8: Doesn't Follow instructions

Appearances are, indeed, sometimes deceptive.

It's a fairly quiet day.  We are awaiting the coordination of the "brain scan" with anesthesia when it occurs to me that Dr. Chobani may come back with test results from the biopsy.   The last thing we need is to have those provided to John without support. I decided to make a call to his office and leave a message there as well as on his cell phone.  I requested that no information on his condition be provided to him without me or one of our team present. 

Seems simple enough. While I was leaving those messages, Irene, a valuable member of our team and a professional patient advocate, texts me to let me know that she is en route to John for a visit and to make sure that his care is wat it's most optimal.

Not an hour later, i get frantic messages on my office phone and alternating with my cell from John. Then we added Dr. Chobani to the mix and then Irene. 

John is so hysterical that I can't understand a word he's saying.  I take the call into my bosses office and close the door. The news isn't good but I don't know how accurate it is coming from John. Not that he's omitting anything, but I made him slow down and repeat it. 

Stage 4 lung cancer with treatment as palliative chemotherapy. 

That can't be right. 

I tell John to calm down.  I hung up and called the "good"  doctor back. 

No, John did not hear him wrong, 

I ask him why my orders where blatantly disregarded. He sidestepped the question and told me that John has requested to start the chemo right away and it's been ordered for later that day.

I ignored the fact that I had been ignored and tell the "good" doctor, thank you, but no thank you. We wil not be needing his services any further and will be seeking a second opinion.  I immediately pack up and ad sprint to the hospital where Irene has been the entire time. 

Thank god for her! The only reason I was told at all was because she locked him in the room and made him call me. 

For the first time, I laughed outright. And was glad that I acted on the good impulse to make an appointment with one of the top ten oncologists in the city at a major cancer center. Irene was a gift from the universe that day and I was grateful to have her.