Phoenix Trip Update #6

Wednesday Evening

Today was the day we have been waiting almost a year for. Bev's appointment with Dr. Kaibara to get the results from all her tests and his diagnosis and recommendations. The conclusions were met with mixed emotions, but mostly with satisfaction and relief. The bad news was that surgery would probably do very little, if any, good and was not recommended from a reward vs. risk point of view. The good news is that Bev will not have to go through a difficult surgery. Instead, Dr. Kaibara emphasized the need for knowledgeable and aggressive pain management. It is important that she resume the physical activities that she enjoys such as golf and gardening. She will attempt to manage her pain with increased medication as needed.

The main satisfaction we received at Barrow is that we feel that we have left no stone unturned and have done everything that we can. I know that I would have always questioned myself if I had not tried to get the best help available for Bev. I feel like I have done that. Dr. Kaibara was patient, personable, and extremely informative in analyzing Bev's condition. He explained thoroughly, with the use of the myelogram CT scan, exactly what was taking place in the cervical section of Bev's spine. This knowledge was so important to our acceptance of the diagnosis. It is most unfortunate that all doctors do not think it necessary to provide this level of details. It is as if they assume the patient has no need for complex medical information and should blindly accept whatever the doctor told them.

Yesterday, I included some pictures in my post. Today, I want you to meet the wonderful, sweet Traci and the fantastic Dr. Kaibara (USGA handicap index 5.7 - I knew he was a serious golfer when I asked his handicap and he quoted his index).

We will be here a while longer because I decided to see if there was anything they could do about the neuropathy in my feet - but that is another story for another post.

Have a nice evening and remember: I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.