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| Methuselah - 969 years old (so the Bible says) |
This morning I had an 8:00 AM appointment with my hematologist doctor to go over the results of my bone marrow biopsy.
Ever since last fall I've had this dread hanging over my head that I'm going to have another medical issue like my prostate cancer diagnosis in 2013.
This morning was Revelation Day.
Would I have cancer of my blood like my brother John who died March 18, 2022 of the same thing (lymphoma). John fought his cancer for three years. When he died his cancer was in remission but the chemotherapy destroyed his other organs. That's what he died of, the chemotherapy. I already made the decision that I would never have chemotherapy. I would not go through the over five hundred medical appointments he had for the last there years. Losing more than half his body weight. Losing his ability to taste food. No, not the path I would choose.
So it was with great apprehension that I awaited in the little room at the cancer center for my doctor to see me.
I could hear his Indian accent taking to a patient in the room next door. By the tone of his voice and the patient I could tell that that patient was receiving the bad news that he had cancer. I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying but again, by they tone of their voices I could tell it wasn't good news.
Their conversation went on for about twenty minutes then silence. I was next.
The next ten minutes there were no sounds. Then I heard my doctor enter my room with his clipboard.
He sat down and pulled his chair up next to me and said "Good news! You don't have cancer!"
I didn't hear much of what he had to say, that's how relieved I was. I can't be sick. I have to be here to take care of Bill.
I.WAS.SO.RELIEVED
I've been through many of these doctor/patient collations after a test or biopsy and always received good news until that fateful day in 2013. That was the day when my urologist told me that I had prostate cancer.
I wasn't expecting that diagnosis. When I heard it I was stunned like Walter White in that scene from "Breaking Bad" when his doctor informed him he had terminal cancer. All Walter White could concentrate on after receiving his "You have cancer" matter of fact announcement from his doctors was the mustard stain on his doctor's tie. My urologist wasn't wearing tie, just a white medical smock. What I do remember was how matter of fact he was about the fact I had CANCER. He gave me my options the first being "You don't have to do anything at your age, you'll probably die of something else." When I heard that statement I immediately thought "You talking to me?" I looked over my should to see if someone else was in the room. There was not. He WAS talking to me. Hey, I knew I was old but I wasn't Methuselah.
Well, thank God I didn't have to make THAT decision this morning.
A good day folks, a good day!
