Post-ERCP good news! And a staffing/protocol question

[Guest guest]

I got a call today from a member of the biliary team at Mass General. Turns out

that they

did take brushings of my stricture after all and the pathology report came back

normal!

No cancer, no dysplasia! Hard-won good news!

We talked some more, and he revealed to me that they tried several different

ways to get a

tool through my stricture, but it has collapsed so much that it was just

impossible. They

pulled Dr. Pratt (my hep) into the room to see what's up first-hand, which is

good to know.

I asked what is next -- will they try again, or will we be looking at

" alternatives. " He

waffled a bit, and said that we'd be looking at alternatives. Fun.

Now my other question:

The person who called me is a BSN-RN, and his business card has the following

for a job

title:

" Access Nurse - MGH GI Associates

Pancreas and Biliary Program "

I was a bit puzzled as to what his involvement was the other day, as he clearly

was not

there to be hands-on with regard to the procedure. The only thing I can imagine

is that he

is some kind of handler or manager for their non-standard, more high-risk

patients. Am I

correct? This is a first for me, so I am still not clear as to what his role in

my care will be.