Farewell, Dr A!

Today was Dad's last visit with Dr A.  He's moving to Johnson Regional in Tennessee.  I sure hate to see him go since he is the one person who came up with a diagnosis and treatment plan for dad.  But Dr. A feels like dad is out of the woods as far as the fungal infection goes.

This visit was much better than ones in the past!  Dad's lab work showed a lower white count but his CRP (Cardio Reactive Protein) is elevated now.  Dr. A ordered another blood test since CRP is an indicator (though not reliable) of infection.  If the results indicate a change is needed, Dr. A will call us with the info,

As for the rest of the story, Dad's lungs sounded better than they have.  His weight is 131 and his color is rosey.  Really.  Rosey.  Not grey or pale.  He's got a kick in his step.  His memory comes and goes but he's pleasant more often than not.  Dad will continue taking vfend for a long time to come. 

At this point, Dad shared that Pfizer called yesterday to let him know his next courtesy shipment is on its way.  I'm still amazed at their level of attention to detail once we got him approved.

Back to Dr. A... this physical exam indicated there is nothing new to be concerned about.  Rather than referring dad to another infectious disease specialist, he'll leave him in the continuing care of Dr. Homsi.  But, you may recall, Dr. Homsi might be leaving too.  Dr. A shook his head when I asked about Dr. Homsi's departure date saying that it was a moving target but probably the end of June.  Dad sees Dr. Homse on May 4 so we'll get an update then.  Dr A was kind enough to tell us that if any doc -- Dr. Homsi or whomever -- needed to consult with him regarding Dad's care to feel free to call him at Johnsonville.

We stopped by the lab for dad's blood to be drawn.  Andrew, the adorable phlebotomist, always treats "Mr Hall" like a king.  He laughs at Dad's jokes and listens attentively to his stories.  Andrew is leaving as well -- sometime mid summer -- to move to Texas with his girlfriend.  Everyone moves on - I understand that.  I just hope that we've got Dad's health on a good plateau by the time this happens.