Rizvi's Road: Round 3.5

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Round 3.5

Hi everyone,

My apologies for the delayed post. Syed had, what I’m naming, round “three and a half” of chemo this past Wednesday. I’ll tell you about why I call this round 3.5 in a minute. First, you must know that Syed’s doctor’s continue to be astounded by how well Syed’s body is reacting to the chemo overall. Like all patients, he has had some side effects but nothing that has impacted his energy level, positive attitude, and of course, his smiling face. While I’m thrilled and somewhat surprised, I’m truly not overly surprised that he’s reacted so well. I’m a huge believer in attitude and the power of the mind (learned it from my grandmother). His positive easy-going attitude is the key ingredient to approaching and dealing with life’s challenges and the challenge Syed is facing today is one of the greatest the human body can endure and he is doing absolutely fabulously.

Now, maybe you’re still wondering why I’ve named this round of chemo 3.5. Well, due to the policies of Medicare, Syed was not able to receive his oral medication in time. As I posted last month, Syed completed the infusion but when Linda went to pick up his medication, she discovered that some paperwork was missing and therefore, the medication would not be covered. I had thought that maybe Syed could cover the cost until the paperwork issue was resolved, however, we then discovered that the cost was beyond excessive, $2,000 per bottle. So for round 3, Syed only had part of his treatment, the infusion, skipping the other half, his pills---hence, round 3.5 J.

I promise, either Linda or I will post the full story about what happened. It’s quite detailed and I’m not able to do that right now. What I will tell you though is that Linda truly worked tirelessly to get all paperwork submitted and delivered Syed his medication a week ago. Going forward, he’s all set.

Syed’s next round of chemo is scheduled for October 27.

All the best to everyone.

Caroline

1 comment:

Syed RizviOctober 9, 2010 at 5:14 PM
Thanks Caroline for your creativity. When I saw Round 3.5, I thought it must be a typo until I read your write up. But you are right. It should be called Round 3.5 instead of Round 4 indeed. At my last meeting with the doctor, I had asked him how many sessions I am supposed to have; his answer was "six". In that case, I am over the hump.
Regarding the red tape Linda went through getting the paperwork straighten out. I must say if it were not for her helping me through this run-around the Medicare had been giving her, I would have given up on this whole thing. I just couldn’t have put up with that kind of frustration, since I do not have that kind of perseverance Linda exhibited in the dealing with the Medicare, the Nursing home and the doctor, who wouldn’t cooperate. But that is another story, and I hope others do not have to go through this.
Regarding my positive attitude and my smiling face Caroline talks about, it is due to the positive attitude and smile of my friends that I simply reflect. It all is coming from them.

Syed
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

About Rizvi's Road

You get yearly physicals. You enter new decades of your life. Your physicals start to expand to include new sets of “regular” standard tests. You place your faith in your doctors. You are vegan. You eat healthy. You exercise regularly. You are active in your community. You have never been to a hospital. You have never had surgery. You think you’re doing everything right to stay healthy. The next day you learn you have colon cancer.

This blog is about Syed Rizvi’s road to recovery from colon cancer—how he found out to what’s happening now.

Meet Syed Rizvi. Syed is from the India-Pakistan subcontinent. He was born in 1933 and spent his early years in Patna, India. In 1955 Syed moved to Karachi, Pakistan where he received his Masters in Physics and then taught Physics at a local college. In 1960 Syed migrated to the U.S.A. to continue his education. By 1972, he became a naturalized citizen.

Living and working in many cities across the U.S., Syed finally settled in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996, the place he now calls home.

In mid April, 2010, Syed noticed he suddenly became exhausted, out of breath, and slightly dizzy when walking from his front door to the driveway. He immediately went to see his primary care physician. His doctor asked if Syed considered his symptoms serious—serious enough to be considered an emergency. Syed replied no, he did not consider his condition serious. The doctor then scheduled a series of heart-related tests.

After a month of tests, Syed’s cardiovascular system proved to be in tip top shape, yet his symptoms persisted. His doctor then recommended he see a neurologist. Before scheduling a new series of tests, Syed talked with his friends about his condition. His friends became concerned that his doctor did not consider his condition more critical and they helped Syed get urgent care. This was the moment when Syed’s life turned to a new chapter.

Syed took a blood test, a test that should have been taken the day he met his doctor the first time. The next day, his doctor’s office called, informed Syed he was severely anemic, and instructed him to go to the ER immediately. Syed was then admitted to the hospital.

Over the next few days, Syed underwent numerous tests. It was finally discovered that he had a tumor in his colon and he had been bleeding for quite some time. Within a few days he underwent surgery to remove the tumor and part of his colon. Syed then learned he had Stage 3 colon cancer.

Join Syed in his journey. Share your thoughts or your own story. We all have a lot to learn from each other. That’s what Rizvi's Road is all about.