Sigh

I don't like the Hospital at the University of Philadelphia. I don't like it at all.

It's crowded. It's disorganized. It's chaotic. It's a mess.

Yesterday we did the mean drive down the Schuylkill Expressway, turned onto South Street, and visited the Penn Hospital. It was up to the fourth floor to have a consultation with a surgeon. With valet parking out front the trip into the office was quite easy.

The office was jam packed. Soon we could tell that people around us were waiting a long time. It looked like an emergency room waiting room after a bus accident.

We waited just over three hours in all to see the surgeon I was scheduled to meet. Three hours in uncomfortable lobby chairs, waiting for the moment when they might call the name "Albert." Three hours . . . ugh . . .

It's been a confusing months of doctor's visits.

All of a sudden my oncologist turned kind of mean this month for some unknown reason and told me just to go to the emergency room or my primary doctor if I had troubles.

The surgeon in Philly yesterday was recommended by the kidney cancer specialist in Philly. The kidney cancer specialist told us he knew him well and he had been doing dozens of these new "ablation" procedures where they freeze tumors after inserting a pretty fancy needle. Turns out the surgeon has never done one of these procedures. And the surgeon felt that I shouldn't have any procedures done at all.

So we drove to Philly and waited for three hours to find out that?

Just exhausted today from yesterday. But I did pull myself in to my family doctor this morning. I recounted the whole confusing month to him and he's onboard towards helping me find anwers to what's been ailing me. Soon we will do an ultra-sound of the abdomen and brave another needle for more bloodtests. That should at least lead us to some answers.

I think I'll be staying away from the University of Pennsylvania for quite awhile. You can have the city life - Green Acres we are here!