Doctor, Doctor

“Doctor, there’s something wrong with me
My health is not all that it used to be
My heart is out of beat, I got chokers on my feet
My eyesight’s getting dimmer, I can’t see
Doctor thanks for seeing me today, I’m glad
I’ve got every sickness there is to be had
I had whooping cough last month
And today I’ve got the mumps
And tomorrow I’ll catch chicken pox as well
Doctor doctor doctor make me well”

“Doctor, Doctor”- The Who (John Entwistle) – 1966

While John Entwistle was not the Who’s primary songwriter, I can certainly relate to his song “Doctor Doctor” (originally released as the B-side to ‘Pictures of Lily’). In my previous blog post, I said that my response to “What do you do now that you’re retired?” was “I support live music!” True, but I forgot to mention I also spend countless hours supporting doctors and other members of the health profession. When I go to a new doctor and fill out the medical history forms, I need extra room under “list any medical specialists you see in addition to your primary care doctor” for my cardiologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, urologist, oncologist, ophthalmologist, otolaryngologist, dermatologist, and orthopedist. Last week was a typical one for me in my golden years- On Tuesday, a visit with my corneal surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital; on Wednesday, a visit with my oncologist at the Fox Chase Cancer Center; and on Friday, my umpteeth MRI since retiring- this one for shoulder pain. The good news is I have no life-threatening illnesses at this point, so I’m certainly thankful in that regard. The bad news is that the wear-and-tear on my body can take its toll on me, both physically and mentally. While I try to keep my blog focused on how to live a happy life in your golden years, it doesn’t come without some bumps in the road, so I’ll provide some health updates periodically as I go on my journey. Here’s my news from this week:

Eyes

According to my eye surgeon at Wills’ Eye Hospital, Dr Zeba Syed, everything is looking good with my corneal transplants and lens implants. My unrelated lower eyelid inflammation (blepharitis/ocular rosacea) is still present, but improved. I may need an injection in my eyelid if it doesn’t go away completely by my next visit. My steroid eye drops for my transplants are now down to 3/day, and I am continuing an antibiotic and warm compresses for my eyelid. My vision in my left eye did not get quite as good as my right eye after surgery, but with glasses I’m seeing fine. And I no longer have to worry going blind from cataracts or Fuchs’ Dystrophy, so thank you Dr. Syed! With a little ongoing eyeball maintenance, I’m good to go.

Prostate Cancer

I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019. It was a non-aggressive form of the disease, and I was placed on an active surveillance protocol, with periodic PSA tests, MRIs, and biopsies. Fifty percent of patients on active surveillance still do not need treatment after 10 years of their first diagnosis. As for me, after 5 years, 3 MRIs and 2 biopsies, I’m still on active surveillance, but my PSA is continuing to rise, going from 5.5 to 6.5 to 7.5 within the past 9 months. At my oncology appointment this week, Dr. Correa recommended a more comprehensive biopsy, taking up to 16 samples instead of the usual 12, which will be done under general anesthesia. The goal is to make sure there’s nothing going on causing the increasing PSA that previous MRI’s and biopsies may have missed. He assured me that even if the results suggest it’s time for treatment (surgery or radiation), my type of prostate cancer is very curable- we just need to stay on top of it. Dr. Correa is fantastic- very friendly, takes time to explain everything and answer my questions, and listens to my concerns. I remember for my last biopsy, which was just done under a local anesthetic, I told him I was very anxious about the procedure, and he calmly talked to me the entire time he was snipping away to get the biopsy samples- “Are you retired?” “What do you like to do in your spare time?” “You like to hike? Where are your favorite places to hike?” “What kind of music do you like?” And before I knew it, the procedure was over. He’s been great. I’ll know more after my next biopsy on August 29th.

Shoulder MRI

I’m not sure what I did to it, but my right shoulder is a mess. I can’t raise my arm or lift anything, have limited range of motion, and I have pain if I sleep on that side. I just got the results of my MRI, and it sounds like I have a lot of stuff going on:

IMPRESSION:

1. Tendinitis of the distal supraspinatus tendon and 2 to 3 mm partial-thickness joint surface tear at its insertion site onto the humeral head.
2. Severe degenerative disease of the glenohumeral joint with edema throughout the glenoid fossa and the superolateral aspect of the humeral head.
3. Small shoulder joint effusion and 2.1 cm loose body in the anterior shoulder joint.

I need to follow up with my orthopedist, but it sounds like I’m headed to surgery unless physical therapy can help make it more manageable.

I try to stay positive, but the Boy Scout in me says I have to be prepared. After already undergoing two eye surgeries this year, I could in theory have 3 more major surgeries between now and the end of the year- a total knee replacement, shoulder surgery, and a prostatectomy. The best case is I can still just stay on active surveillance without treatment for my prostate cancer, my shoulder pain can be alleviated with physical therapy, and I opt to delay knee surgery a little while long. I’ll know more in the coming months.

While my golden years are filled with good times, dealing with these health issues can get depressing. I guess it just comes with the territory. At this point, I’m glad I’m not working so I can address my health concerns and still have time to travel, babysit our grandchildren, get together with friends, listen to live music, and enjoy the outdoors. Life goes on. But in the meantime- “Doctor, doctor, doctor, make me well!”

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