Best.Visit.Ever.

July 28, 2006 - Today I had my first appointment with a Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Kin-Sing Au at INOVA Loudoun County Hospital. This was, quite simply, the best Dr. visit I've had since this process started. From the moment I arrived, I knew this practice was going to be different from anything I had experienced so far. The space was warm and inviting. There was a sense of peace and calming in the way the office was appointed. Even the information requested of me indicated that these people were interested in me as more than just a clinical patient but as a person. I was made to feel very much at ease by everyone that I met with.

Dr. Au spoke to me at length regarding my treatment options and my prognosis which he considers to be very favorable. I asked him prepared questions and Michelle took notes. He took the time to discuss every question I had in detail. Much of what we discussed centered around the probable side effects of head and neck radiation which would be administered over a seven week period. Most likely, I will lose my sense of taste and my ability to produce saliva, particularly from my left salivary glands but both of these functions should return over time, at least in part. Ultimately, the lack of saliva and discomfort in my mouth and throat, which will get progressively worse over time, may inhibit my ability to take food orally in which case I would have to have a feeding port inserted into my stomach. None of this comes as a surprise. Over the past week, I've been fortunate enough to speak with two people who have undergone this very treatment for squamous cell carcinoma.

One is a man named Scott who was referred to me by an old friend of mine whom I've had the good fortune of reuniting with through this experience. Scott is a rather fascinating man. A career Marine, he served in Vietnam with my friend's father and lived through a number of harrowing experiences. Given his background and training, he went into his cancer treatments with a bravado that ultimately betrayed him. The treatments were much worse than he expected and in the middle of his treatments, he had to have a feeding tube inserted. Unfortunately, this was done while he was taking chemotherapy and because his immune system had been comprimised, he ended up with a terrible infection that literally almost killed him. All in all, he lost 70 pounds! But, it's now more than two years later and he is cancer free and enjoying retirement. Scott is just now regaining his sense of taste and his ability to enjoy the foods he once loved.

Back to Dr. Au. At the end of the consultation, Dr. Au personally showed me around the office including the treatment areas. He talked to me about the alternative therapies that they offer such as visualization therapies and Reiki. He then took me upstairs to introduce me to one of the Medical Oncologists in his building whom he works with extensively. When we returned to his office, one of Dr. Au's assistants made an appointment on my behalf with the Medical Oncologist so I can discuss potentially adding either chemotherapy or immunotherapy as an adjuvant to my radiation treatment.

All in all, the visit with Dr. Au left me feeling very good. I was especially pleased that he didn't balk at my questions regarding the use of nutritional supplements. This is something I am very confused about and will comment on in a later post. I think that because these people deal only with cancer patients, they are more in tune with our emotional and psychological needs as opposed to just our physical needs. Dr. Au suggested that I keep an appointment that I had already made for next week with another Radiation Oncologist because this other doctor is using a brand new technology and he would like to me hear about it. More on that later.