2019-04-03 12:50

Bareburger

We left the Bodine Center For Radiation Therapy and were headed home. But I was hungry and I assumed that Bhavna was too. We used Apple Maps to find the nearest place we could both find something suitable. This is four first visit to Bare Burger. We each ordered a vegetarian burger.

Park Here

I'm at the Bodine Center For Radiation Therapy where an eye specialist has just informed me that I have two options to treat my Graves Eye Disease; radiation therapy or high dose steroids.

I have two choices, neither of which are good. It's like voting in a United States presidential election.

I don't want radiation therapy. But managing type 1 diabetes while taking high doses of steroids is challenging. Steroids raise blood glucose levels. High levels of steroids cause incredibly high blood sugar levels requiring high doses of insulin to keep blood glucose in range. That increases the risk of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia.

Radiation therapy has its own set of risks, including possible brain or ocular cancer. The treatment is 75% effective.

Next week I'll start three weeks of radiation therapy. I'm not sure how I'll manage the logistics of work and treatment. The New Jersey Office is in Iselin; 45 minutes north of my home. Philadelphia is 80 minutes in the opposite direction. Doing this therapy rules out commuting to New York City during those three weeks.

America’s Oldest Theatre

I was at Wills Surgery Center today for what I thought would be a quick morning of tests. But the optical surgeon had a lot of questions, so they performed a series of test. We were here until lunchtime. If you don't know, I have Grave's Eye Disease which has progressed to the point where I may need surgery. I'll know in a few weeks when I return for more tests. The doctors are concerned about pressure behind the eyes. If the pressure becomes too high, the muscles of the yes could squeeze the optic nerve and cause blindness. I have a follow up in three weeks for more tests.

I am looking out at the Walnut Street Theatre through the windows of the waiting room at Wills Eye.