The big ‘C’

Whew. It’s been a minute since I last posted here.

My wife has been under the weather since she had back surgery this past December. We thought we were getting out from under it when a second issue occurred about a month ago. She was feeling poorly, not eating much and just overall not feeling ‘right’. So we attempted to get an appointment with her primary physician, but lo and behold, her provider had moved on from the practice and another doctor had taken her place. No other doctors were in the office, so this new physician was overwhelmed and there weren’t any available appointments for at least three weeks. We were informed if it was basically an emergency; to go to the ER. So we did.

And that started the nightmare we’re embroiled in now.

Once at the ER, tests were run, a CT scan was performed, and the first conundrum arose. It showed a mass in her abdomen, but as the ER doctor said, CT scans are like 1970s television. You get some detail, but you need a bit more powerful eyes (MRI) to really see what’s there. The hospital we were at isn’t a full-service place anymore; if you need more than triage, you have to be transported somewhere else. So the rest of the evening was spent finding a bed at another hospital. Further-away options were off the table, so eventually, around 11 (we got there around 4), they were able to secure her a bed at a place about an hour from where we live. I went home, and she was transported at 1 am the following day. Once she arrived, they immediately did another CT scan, which (not surprisingly) produced pretty much the same results as the first one. Why they did that was beyond me.

Over the course of her time there, several other tests were performed, and when all external options were exhausted, they contacted a surgeon, and he performed an exploratory procedure, which discovered the problems. Lesions on several of her internal organs, as well as tumors impacting several key systems. Too, there was a blockage in her colon, so the surgeon created a stoma so she could have an ostomy bag to remove solid waste from her body. She stayed in the hospital a total of 11 days, and then was moved to a rehabilitation facility in the same city.

In the interim, while she’s been getting PT and OT, we were finally able to get the ball rolling on getting her medical assistance with the cancer. The day after tomorrow, we’re traveling to Rochester, NY, for her initial consult with the cancer team at Wilmot Cancer Institute. Hopefully, we can get a handle on exactly what we’re dealing with, what timeline there is (if any), and what all we’re going to do to fight this battle. We’ve been married for over 32 years. I’m not in any way, shape, or form ready to give up on her.