Appointment on this past Thursday with Dr. Tris ... 3:15 p.m.
We got there a little early, filled out paperwork. Sit and wait. Others are seen. My emotions are straining with every minute passed on the clock. Dr. Tris has been my doctor for over 30 years ... yet, this is the one time, he doesn't speak to Rick, or to me. He won't even look at us. ??? A premonition of something wrong is growing by leaps and bounds. Finally ... Linda calls me back. I am weighed. She asks more questions. I am trying to answer them as calmy - and as quickly - as possible. She alludes to something we do not want to even consider, let alone hear ... "C" ... sigh. I am led to a room. Left alone with Rick. We talk - "what if it isn't good?" At this point we can't even bring ourselves to say the word "Cancer" ... waiting ... waiting. Door opens, we are expecting Dr. Tris. No. It is Linda. She comes and stands in front of me ... no ceremony, no delay any longer. I am told that I have "Uterine Cancer". Looking at her, she is waiting for me to fall apart. Not my way - not now, not here. What do we do? How do we do this? First, the pathology report. "Non-invasive" ... meaning that it is only in the lining of the uterus. Not in the wall of the uterus. "Cervix is clean" ... the cancer has not spread to the cervix. (Which later we find out means that at this point that would put this cancer between a 0 and a 1. The worst is a 5.) "Non-metastic" ... meaning that it is not some other kind of cancer in the uterus. It is uterine cancer. There is no staging at this point ... and no firm numbers. Next, prognosis. Hysterectomy without question. However, since there is Cancer - Dr. Tris doesn't want to do the surgery. He doesn't want to take a chance on missing something, or on doing anything wrong in this. So, I am being referred to a "gyna-oncologist". The problem is - I have no insurance. So, the oncologist that works with Dr. Tris, probably will not accept me. There are some options, and Linda said that she was going to do all that she can to get me in as quickly as possible to someone, somewhere. Sigh. Sounds like it might (not likely tho) be Baylor, more likely Parkland, and even more likely M.D. Anderson in Houston. The good news? A hysterectomy will most likely take care of the problem. Little to no radiation or chemo. IF - and a great big IF - the oncologist agrees with the pathology report, and once the surgery is done, the pathology on the hysterectomy concurs with this preliminary report. If - and again, a great big IF - the grade is low (meaning a slow growing cancer) and the stage is no higher than a 2 (and it has to be in the cervix to be a 2) ... then the survival rate is 90% even after 5 years. So, now ... we wait ... wonder ... trust in the Lord ...
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So why "Scattered Feathers" ? ? ?You can read it here Past Posts
January 2023
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