Yesterday, Tad and I went to see Dr. Cancer, whom I have not met with since all this began. Dr. Demo had already given me a head’s up that the pathology results might have some bad news, so we were bracing ourselves. During my surgery, they performed a sentinel lymph node biopsy, in which three… Continue reading Fuck.
Last night we broke the news to the kids. I have awesome kids!!! I knew I needed to tell them the complete story, including using the word “cancer,” but I also knew I did not need to provide all the gory details – only as much as they ask for. I’d planned to tell them… Continue reading Telling the Kids
Sunday, June 5, 2016 The day I received my diagnosis, on May 2, I started to really think through how I was going to tell people about my cancer. I knew that I would not want to tell too many people before the story firmed up – it would be annoying to have to revise… Continue reading Key Word: CURABLE
Monday, May 23, 2016 My third Tour De Medicine appointment was with the general surgeon, Dr. Demo*. By now, Tad and I are getting tired of the cancer talk, but she dived on in anyway with her version. I’d really been hoping to skip straight to the surgery part, but she would not be dissuaded! … Continue reading Planning the Demo
Friday, May 20, 2016 Before leaving the clinic after my visit with Dr. Cancer yesterday, I was sent downstairs to get a blood test and a chest XRay. Today, I got a phone call from Dr. Cancer’s nurse to give me the results of the blood test. Without mentioning cancer once, she said, “You have a… Continue reading Vitamin D!?
Thursday, May 19, 2016 Appointment #1: Laser Dermatology This was a big day for me, with three different appointments scheduled, including one unrelated to cancer. Prior to “catching cancer,” I had recently decided to deal with a few minor lingering health issues. One of them was attempt #47 (exaggerating, but not a lot!) to eradicate… Continue reading Three Appointments in One Day
May 6, Friday The day after meeting with Dr. Hugs, I received a call from the scheduling department perfunctorily informing me of the three appointments, as promised. I balked; “Don’t I get to pick times that work for me?” The caller hesitated; “Do any of these times not work?” “Well, no. They’re fine.” I guess… Continue reading I Love Flowcharts
Monday, May 2, 2016 Finally, Monday rolled around. I had a busy day planned at work, and since I had just called Dr. Hugs’ office on Friday, I resolved to wait another day before nagging again. It turned out I did not need to — around midday, the phone rang. Dr. Hugs wanted me to… Continue reading A Little Self-Medication Can’t Hurt…
The Weekend of April 30 to May 1 I was told it would take three to five days to get the biopsy results. If I didn’t hear from my primary care doctor, Dr. Hugs*, within five days, I should call her. I spent the next five days online, reading up on cancer. I knew to… Continue reading Do I Have to Grow Up?
Thursday, April 21, 2016 I rested awkwardly on the gurney in the radiology exam room. The radiology nurse had just finished propping me onto pillows and supports to get the angle just right for my impending breast biopsy. She explained the procedure to me, and showed me the teeny tiny titanium markers that would be… Continue reading And Project Perky Was Born
Project Perky 