Organizing cancer treatment is like a jigsaw puzzle. I hate jigsaw puzzles. I have no patience for them. Everywhere you go at the Huntsman Cancer Institute there is a jigsaw puzzle. Getting the oncologist to talk to the surgeon and then the plastic surgeon.....
Waiting for all the tests to be administered and evaluated- the doctors have their own puzzle to figure out.
The nurses have to try to schedule everything and talk to the insurance companies.
Our petscan was not approved by the insurance company so instead we have a ct scan tomorrow and a bone density test on Tuesday. These tests are vital to complete our puzzle and begin fighting this fight.
The last few pieces of our puzzle are determined by us, but we need to see what the rest of the puzzle looks like in order to know the best option to complete the puzzle.
We will know our final plan by next Wednesday. If the cancer has spread through the blood stream the decision is made and we fight the cancer with chemo first and there is no cure- only remission.
But if the tests are negative (which is what we hope) then we will most likely schedule a mastectomy for the following week. The tumor is 3 cm which means that there is a 1 cm margin for surgery on each side- combined with the lymph nodes which is most of the breast. So the gold standard would be a mastectomy. There may be some variables within this equation that Joey and I are praying about. These are life changing decisions for a new couple and we want to weigh all our options. I'm sure many of you have advice and/or thoughts on the direction we should take. We appreciate all of our loved ones. We just know that these are decisions we have to make since we are the ones that will live with the consequences.
I can say that I have NEVER loved puzzles and this one is the most complicated one set out for me to solve. I've got a great partner that is patient and loving and I'm glad that he is with me in this challenge.
Ps. Don't buy me a puzzle for Christmas!
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