Don't burn bridges

Taking a great deal of advice from other women with GCT, this morning (October 13) at 7:30 I showed up at Zimmer Cancer Center without an appointment and asked to be seen.

The front desk said, "You have to have a referral." (Who just walks in at an oncology office and gets seen on request, right!?) I went on to do a bit of begging, and the front desk said they'd send a note back to the team of my former oncologist, Dr. Robinson,

A few minutes later, my favorite nurse, Melinda, walked out. She remembered me, and she had taken a look at my chart. It was 7:45 am, and she asked if I were willing to hang around until 9. Of course, I said yes. Five minutes later, a 9 am appointment appeared on my phone, but I didn’t even have to wait until 9 am.

At 8:30, I was called back. Dr. Robinson saw me in the hall, smiled, and gave me a hug before going to see another patient.

I went into another exam room where I asked the normal questions you get with a visit.

15 minutes later Dr. Robinson came in, and he gave me his full attention for an extended period of time, answering every question I had and affirming his willingness to talk to Dr. Hillman and his willingness to think outside the box.

I reminded him I am willing to drive full speed into a brick wall, but I am not willing to die by a thousand paper cuts.

He seems to be okay with that, too.

I look forward to sharing more after my telehealth consultation with Dr. Hillman at UCSD on Thursday.