430) Meeting with Dr. Bruce

April 9, 2012

Monday

Round Rock:  I drove up to Round Rock with Lizzie to meet with Dr. Bruce and get the consult from him on my earlier procedure.  Even tho we got there at 9 there was a line at his receptionist window and the woman working the window seemed to be taking her time with each person in the line.  I was thinking they should have a take-a-number system or something.  When it was my turn, she checked for my appointment, and gave me a specimen bottle, and I went about the business of filling it, even though I was pretty sure that the consult wasn't going to require that kind of testing contribution.  I wondered how many samples of unused urine they collect in a day.  Also, there were no paper towels in the restroom.  This office is not what I am used to in the way of medical offices, I thought... wondering if I was being to picky, they were just newly moved in, or if this was their usual pattern of behavior.

We waited... and I started reviewing a paper for School Social Work Journal.

An assistant brought us in to a treatment room and went about checking my BP while asking me questions, etc. and, of course, it was high: 160/80.  I complained to Liz after she left the room... "they never give me time to settle in, relax, and get a good reading..." 


Dr. Bruce came in and sat down with a pen and pad and said, "I want to draw you a picture."  He drew and explained that this situation is like a pond that fills with water and then can't drain completely... (which he had said last week too) and this time he added, "so when it can't drain completely cause of the prostate squeezing, bladder stones develop".  OH!


He described that they want to do an operation... I asked about a stent... and he replied that they usually don't do stents for young guys; only older people... and that made me feel young.  We brought up my deal with Medicare and discussed doing this operation in July, after I get back on Medicare.  He thought that was fine; and added that he still has to talk to Dr. Lewis about it all.  


So, I have another appointment with the Transplant Clinic this upcoming Friday... and this saga will continue.  Looks like there'll be a trans-urethral resection of my prostate (TURP) in the summer sometime.