Did I Mention That I'm Back At Work?

Yes, that's right.  Back to seeing patients, back in the O.R., and back to waking up at 5:00 A.M.

It's just that I've been so busy doing it that I haven't had a chance to sit down and write an update for you here!

I mentioned in my last post that I was feeling better and better--in fact nearly back to normal strength--so my estimates of restarting work this winter were readjusted a bit, and here I am.

It's not hand surgery yet.  My fellowship plans remain on hold, while the wonderful folks in Pittsburgh are working on the bureaucracy that is in the way of me getting hired there again.  Hopefully we'll have good news on that front soon, but for now it's still pending.

In the meantime, I've temporarily rejoined the Einstein/Montefiore orthopaedic surgery department (where I had done my residency).  I'm not working as an attending, but rather a clinical fellow, which is a perfect scenario for me to get my skills back up to speed without suddenly being back out there on my own.  I have, after all, been professionally dormant for the last 15 months or so, and both my hands and my brain need some practice to get back up to full speed.

I'm managing to work full-time (that's "normal" full-time, not "doctor" full-time--I'm not doing any night or weekend calls just yet), and the energy level has been holding up well.  I'm really enjoying being back at work.  My skills are definitely rusty (and my dexterity is still recovering from the transplant), but I'm getting a chance to do a little bit of everything, and it's great.  Of course, I'm dead tired after a really long day in the O.R., but that was the case even before I got sick.

The commute from Connecticut tends to be about 45 minutes each way, which explains the early wake-up times.  Alissa has about an hour each way, and she and I are still trying out different transportation permutations for our commutes, so that we may figure out what combination is most ideal.

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On the health front, I've now gotten back the results of my 6-month checkup.  PET and CT scans are totally clean, as is the bone marrow biopsy.  I saw Dr. P for my now monthly visit last week, and she slowly chopped the list of my medications shorter and shorter.  Gone are the immunosupressive drugs, steroids, antivirals, antacids, and minerals.  I'm now down to taking just a daily multivitamin and folic acid supplement.  Pretty good for 7 months from a transplant!

My immune function tests are still not back to normal yet, though they are creeping in the right direction (for you medical readers, CD4 count has broken the 200 mark, on the way up...)  So this means the restricted diet remains in place.  No sushi yet, though I'm eating salads at home.  I'll be re-tested next at the 9-month point.

Comments

[Alissa Elliott]

Sam, when you said "so that we may figure out which combination in most ideal" did you mean to say "so that we may figure out which combination is least horrifying"?

Because obviously any commute that starts with waking up at 5:00 am is bound to be horrifying. We're merely trying to mitigate the pre-dawn horror.

[Paul]

As you know I get to see people fighting and suffering with cancer every day. And I also get to see the extraordinary care givers who walk with each patient on their journey. So I am very glad to hear you complain about normal things like commutes and long work days. That must mean that you are back in the care giver side and able to help your patients in their own path to wellness. Bravo. I will send more mixes to help you make the best of living that normal life complete with normal challenges. You certainly deserve that after the last year. Just think how much better off you are as someone who was not expecting cancer. It could have been so much worse. You may not have been expecting the Spanish Inquisition. Then where would you be?