Thursday, 11:55 PM
High-Level Journal Summary: Photos and the most recent contact information for 10 of the key members of my medical team. In addition to this literal information, I have provided photographs of all but one.
I think there is value in seeing what these various doctors look like. It softens them from being resumes/CV's and starts to make them real human beings who care about what they do and about helping patients/caregivers. As such, I think the photos in this online journal entry matter.
It is also very humbling to think that all these great minds are pumping effort and expertise into my well-being. I look at these photos and it is almost overwhelming to think how much brain power is being funneled into my health. All the more reason to exponentiate the knowledge and information shared with me.
Countdowns:
1.) Day 11 of 28 in my 23rd 5/23 Temodar chemotherapy cycle.
2007 Seizure Activity:
1.) Last Simple Partial Seizure, or SPS, was 14 days ago. This is an excellent streak.
2.) In 2007, I have had 30 SPS's in 200 days. This is an average of 1 SPS every 6.7 days.
Website Updates:
An online journal was added today for 12/19/04. This journal deals with a dozen new questions I had for Dr. James Melisi just 9 days after my brain biopsy. This is a transcription of my handwritten journal from that day.
Actual Journal: Today, I met with my local neurologist, Dr. Amy Stone. I won't report all the notes from our meeting today, but one of the final things I did was take a picture of her. After all, I have photos of almost every single member of my medical team, but I had never gotten a photo of her.
I explained that I wanted to post a picture of her on 38 Lemon (which she happens to read). I asked if this would be okay. Dr. Stone was absolutely fine with this, agreeing that people want to read about and actually see what doctors look like. Using my words, it is part of human nature to want to know what doctors look like, the psychology of which I will not even try to get into this evening.
Contact info and pictures of my medical team
I have a Palm Pilot loaded with information about each member of my medical team. I find myself providing data from my Palm Pilot on very regular occasion as patients and caregivers ask for contact information for various members of my medical team.
Instead of handing out this information repeatedly, I thought it might be much more efficient to provide a summary of some of this public data in a single online journal entry. Granted, this is not my entire medical team, but these are some of the major players, along with their most recent contact information.
1.) Dr. Patrick J. Kelly (my neurosurgeon)
New York University School of Medicine
M.D., F.A.C.S, Joseph P Ransohoff Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery
530 First Avenue
Suite 8R
New York, NY 10016
212/263-8002
Dr. Patrick J. Kelly
2.) Dr. Howard A. Fine (my neuro-oncologist)
National Cancer Institute
M.D., Chief, Neuro-Oncology Branch
Bloch Building # 82
9030 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20892-8200
301/402-6383
Dr. Howard A. Fine
3.) Dr. Dipti Patel (my local oncologist and hematologist)
Fairfax Northern Virginia Hematology Oncology P.C.
8503 Arlington Blvd.
Suite 400
Fairfax, VA 22031
703/280-5390
Dr. Dipti Patel
4.) Dr. Steven V. Pacia (my epileptologist)
Lenox Hill Hospital
Director, Department of Neurology
100 East 77th Street
New York, NY 10021
212/434-2755
Dr. Steven V. Pacia
5.) Dr. Amy R. Stone (my local neurologist)
Neurology Center of Fairfax, LTD.
3020 Hamaker Court
Suite 400
Fairfax, VA 22031
703/876-0800
Dr. Amy R. Stone
6.) Dr. Douglas C. Miller (my pathologist)
NYU, Belleview Hospital
Neuro-Pathology
Room 4 North 30
New York, NY
212/263-6449
Dr. Douglas C. Miller
8.) Vera Hirschmann (my brain tumor support group moderator)
INOVA Fairfax Hospital
RN3, CNRN
3300 Gallows Road
Falls Church, VA 22042-3300
703/776-3425
Vera Hirschmann, RN3, CNRN
7.) Dr. David Schiff (one of my consultative neuro-oncologists)
University of Virginia Health System
The Department of Neurology
P.O. Box 800432
Charlottesville, VA 22908-0432
434/982-4415
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Dr. David Schiff
9.) Dr. Henry S. Friedman (another one of my consultative neuro-oncologists)
MD, Deputy Director The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center
DUMC 3624
Durham, NC 27710
Appointment Telephone: 919/684-3621
Office Telephone: 919/684-5301
Dr. Henry S. Friedman
10.) Dr. Les H. Gavora (my internist)
Internist, M.D.
3020 Hamaker Court
# 403
Fairfax, VA 22031
703/207-8600
Dr. Les Gavora, InternistFinal thoughts
All this information is intended to be helpful to others who may read certain journal entries and want to be in contact with these doctors based upon what they learn. There is no more and no less value than this in today's online journal entry.
Actually, change that last statement. There is value in seeing what these various doctors look like, too -- at least for me. It softens them from being resumes/CV's and starts to make them real human beings who care about what they do and about helping patients/caregivers. As such, I think these photos matter.
It is also pretty damn humbling to think that all these great minds are pumping effort and expertise into my well-being. I look at these photos and it is almost overwhelming to think how much brain power is being funneled into my health. All the more reason to exponentiate the knowledge and information shared with me.
