Back to the Univ. of Utah Orthopaedic Center

I got to the BMT clinic yesterday morning about 10 minutes early because of light traffic and was told by the young lady who checked me in remarked that I was there for Velczade and I then had to remind her that I was supposed to have an Aredia infusion and that usually on the third Monday 2 vials of blood are drawn. I thought she had corrected her records, but found later that Grace had not been informed about the infusion. There were only a few people waiting in the reception area and I assumed that it had been a slow day and that I would be seen soon, but it was 10:30 by the time that Grace had weighed me and seated me in chair 1 in the Infusion Room. Grace put a line in my port but when she tried to draw blood there was no blood return much like the attempts on the March 24 and April 1 visits. After several deep breaths on my part there was enough flow to fill 2 vials, which she sent off for analysis.  There was a lot of frenetic activity in the Infusion Room and several people were wearing blue vests, which I had never seen before and I was later able to accost Nick England and ask for an explanation.  He said the Hospital changed their computer system over the weekend and the blue vests are training people in the new procedures.  I suppose this accounts for all the delays I experienced during my visit and for Grace not knowing that I was supposed to get an Aredia infusion.  My Velcade infuaion was delayed until about 1:30 because it required a new prescription that had to be signed by Dr. Atanackovic and Grace had not been able to reach him until after 1:00 PM.  She then called the pharmacy and learned that my Aredia infusion would require 4 hours and she proposed waiting a week for it and I was happy enough to agree to that.

The MRI that Dr.Tashjian required was scheduled for today at noon with an appointment with him at 1:05.  I got to the Orthopaedic Center right st noon just in time to fill out another form and give them a copay of $100.00.  I had to change into a hospital gown and paper drawers for the MRI, which supposedly would take 25 minutes but I wasn't dressed and ready to go to the appointment with the doctor until 1:00 so I did not have time to go out to the pickup to eat the sandwich I had brought with me.  I had a rather long wait to see the doctor because of the time it took him to study the MRI results.  When he did come in to talk to me he said that the M RI was normal and there is no rotator cuff damage.  The pain I have been feeling is due to a fracture in the capsule where the cuff joins the arm; this fracture was visible on the x-rays they took last week but it was not mentioned to me at that time.  He said the slow improvement in the arm and shoulder that I have experienced has been due to gradual healing of that fracture and this healing will continue but it can be hastened by some therapy, which he prescribed and sent me to the Therapy Clinic for scheduling visits.  The first opening was not until May 29 at 1:15 where a workout program will be established and 2 additional appointments were made for the following 2 Thursdays.  I was told to come wearing work out clothes and "expect to work my butt off."