Our plan to return to Baltimore on the 13th fell apart. Ernie actually has five "well coordinated" appointments on the 20th and it proved impossible to get them all rescheduled for the 13th.
As a back up, we decided to seek the opinion of a local Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. Ernie's primary care physician does not have the facilities to do the endoscopy so he could not be certain if Ernie had oral thrush or the extent of the problem. The ENT is set up to do this.
Unfortunately Ernie's normal ENT doesn't work on Fridays. The ENT doc who subbed for her did not have the best bedside manner and his comments were upsetting to Ernie. He said that Ernie had " the worst case of mucositis that he had ever seen." Mucositis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines all body passages that deal with air. Oral mucosa are the most sensitive of all and mucositis in this area can be quite painful as Ernie will testify. The mucositis is a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation.
When we inquired how long the mucositis might last, the doctor quipped "forever" at some level. We have not heard this before. All of the diploma's on the guys walls referenced surgery so we are hoping that he was speaking out of turn.
At any rate, he did not rule out that Ernie might have oral thrush. He suggested that Ernie continue his antibiotic treatments until Monday and, if he still has significant pain at that time, come back and see his normal ENT.
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