JB went into town to fetch us a hot substantial breakfast. We were fueled and ready to go on our marathon.
10:25 we left the house
We were in good time for our 12:30 appointment. They like us there 15 minutes early. It's about a 90-minute drive. You never know with traffic, though. I popped into our local store, Coutts, to order our Thanksgiving turkey.
Our drive into the city demonstrates that we are in the middle of ✅ELECTION43📈! It's interesting seeing the various signs. Some really are over the top, like McGuinty's.
12:02 Ottawa Hospital
After an hour and 24 minutes, 92 km, we made it. We passed the eye institute. I would have been grateful to have my right eye done. The cataract is awful. My vision is cloudy, it is irritating and gives me a headache when I drive a long distance. Wait times in the city are longer than out here, though. I was feeling irritable, which doesn't help.
We were early, but they took us in, thankfully, as the guy in the seat across from us was telling an acquaintance about how he gets chemo tomorrow, and it put him out of commission for a day, but then someone else was in the wrong module, and was sent in their wheelchair off to another spot.
They have a new computer system and all of the information we've given them, meds, and the like, dates, etc. are gone, or the nurse couldn't find them. How frustrating. We had new data for them, a recent bone density test. What we are doing (Dr. Jenn, our naturopath) with supplements: calcium, vitamin D, iron, etc., are doing their work. We've gotten more things to assist in the side effects of the supplement (the iron causes constipation) and it isn't simple.
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| He had it in his left side, they try to change hips. Ventrogluterally |
After the nurse left, she couldn't just give JB the needle yet, as she needed orders on the computer. Also, with the new regulations they needed two nurses to sign off on the meds, even though WE bought it and brought it to the hospital. It's a dual sign off in the new protocols.
In came the intern, Dr. C often has them. They take down details, changes, test results, any symptoms. JB asked about his sore head. He and our GP thinks he's bumped it. It's getting better, although he still has some pain. Our GP didn't want to order any more tests until we determined which tests Dr. C might order.
They figure that brain metastasis is unlikely, as his PSA tests are good. Typically, prostate cancer metastasizes to the lymph nodes (which is the case for JB), then the bones and outer organs. His PSA test of 0.08 indicates that the Lupron is keeping the cancerous cells from growing, and he is stable for now. You can see where the PSA tests rose postsurgery in 2013, until the 2017 Lupron injections began.
The next injection will be in January. We will have that done my our GP's office, and the nurse practitioner in Perth. Then back to Ottawa for April's injection. Dr. C has no intention of ordering any more scans while JB's number is so low. The bone mineral density test altitude was better than the last test! This is good.
13:00 we were done
I remember when they built this building. That's how long we've been going, after surgery in 2013. It seems to be a Bell building. We made appointments for the spring and we were off.
These folks were doing selfies!
13:35 on the road again
We managed to find parking, although earlier in the day they do get full.
Back through Ottawa, I like this newer home. We drove along through Elizabeth Park, a nice residential area, better than driving on the busier roads.
We saw the signs, and the train tracks. I realized this is the new light rail transit (LRT) in Ottawa. It opened in September.
Elizabeth Park signage.
I got us out of the city. At The Swan JB took over driving. We decided to head for Smiths Falls for lunch.
They are building something in Kars next to the funeral home, where my ex-husband's visitation took place. I used to teach gr. 6 in Kars, at Rideau Valley Middle School.
Look at the pumpkins!!!
And the trees still delight!
More signage.
14:55 Smiths Falls
We went into the Axe and Arrow and had a nice 'lunch', happy our trip was nearly over. I had wine. Seriously.
They play old movies on the TV screen!
16:14 home again
We hunkered down at home with the cats. Annabelle, I think, gave me a tick. JB ran and fetched some tape, and I stuck it to it! They are down this year. See my data here: 🕷️TICKS 2019.
In other news, 🏤LANARK LIFESTYLES was open on October 1st. I've been photographing it during the build!
🛠️BALA HYDRO DAM is being tested, finally!
10 comments:
My fella' was a student at your school when he lived in Kars. Not a chance you taught him though, LOL.
I was school librarian at Elizabeth Park School, WAY, WAY back. I have some crazy stories from those days that will get told sooner or later.
That is some crazy big needle JB gets. Does his injection site give him grief after?
I'm tired reading about your trip and I didn't even go lol! That's good news for JB. I hope he continues to be well. The election signs here are few and far between, which is fine by me!
All the best to JB! You made a nice outing out of the visit.
A full day, and those leaf colours, they are changing so fast. Well done JB, you are a trooper to cope with the hospital visit and the driving. Ticks, thought they might have gone with colder nights now. XXX
That is a lot of pumpkins!
That's a long and tiring day. You don't need added stress when people lose records.
It's good that every second injection can be dome locally.
You mentioned getting together. I keep thinking about this too although timetables have not worked out in the past. Perhaps later this month or early November once the colour is gone and I, hopefully, feel better.
Thanks for the question, Karen. It does ache for a day or so. Nothing tylenol doesn't help, though.
Medical services far from the big city can be a challenge. There are a few specialists that come to Powell River periodically, but for major things we have to go to the Island or Vancouver. That encourages us to go all the way to Bellingham to be able to stay in our condo. Having cross-border health coverage is a huge benefit. - Margy
Fingers crossed that things keep going smoothly for JB. What a really, really busy day you had. If those shots cost that much in Canada, I can just imagine what they would cost here.
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