Ear Nose Throat doctor visit

Dad's oncologist was able to get him an appointment with an ear, nose, throat doctor yesterday which was a major accomplishment. As we sat in the waiting room, we heard the gal answering the ENT office phone, tell several people that the first opening they had was in April...so it definitely helps for a doctor to call.

We thought that this doctor visit would be maybe an hour...but it was more like 4 hours. First they had to give Dad a hearing test that was quite lengthy. Then we waited for the doctor and visited with him. He said that Dad's overall hearing is within the normal range, but high frequencies are not very good....he has some hearing loss there. The thing is...we don't know if that's something new or if that's just damage from being around screaming jet engines for 4 years in the Navy and for plenty more at Duncan. The doctor then decided to do further testing to see if there was any damage to the little hairs in the inner ear that convert sound waves into nerve impulses which then goes to the brain and tells you what you are hearing. The reason for the test is that the hairs can show damage before it actually shows up as hearing loss...so the doctor wanted to be sure that there wasn't more going on.

So Dad took that test and somehow blew up the testing machine a time or two and it took almost an hour before they got it back in order and got 2 tests to be similar. Then we had to wait again to see the doctor. Bottom line is that there is no visible damage to the hairs so the doctor felt that it was fine to go ahead with the same chemo and then follow up a week afterwards with another hearing test since they now have a baseline test to go from. He also recommended a supplement that may help prevent further damage caused by chemo. The ENT doctor called Dad's oncologist to report his findings and give his recommendation and to get the ok on taking the supplement. I've been really impressed how the doctors actually talk to confer on things...instead of just relying on paperwork passed from office to office.

Overall, we felt pretty good about the tests and will find out Dad's oncologist's take on it on Monday before starting the chemo on Tuesday.

Interesting side note...the ENT doctor and his father were in the parent-child program that Dad and all you kids were in. The dad and his sons were the big competition at the derby car races...he was an engineer...so the final races were usually between the Cederberg's and the mechanics at Duncan. I remember the ENT doctor as a kid racing those cars...who would have thought Dad would be seeing him as a doctor years later!

Also, while we were at the doctor's, which was at Bryan hospital, we saw our next door neighbor who we knew would be there that day. Her husband was having some 8 or 9 hour heart surgery. We saw her passing by and spoke with her...what are the chances of seeing your neighbor at a hospital...just happening to cross paths!

Another note...the weather has taken a turn for the better and we have again started taking walks around the neighborhood. It was beautiful today!

I will be posting again on Monday after the visit to the oncologist.