Thanks For Nothing....

How does it happen that you think you're prepared for something, but when the real event happens, it turns out you really didn't have a clue?? I thought we were prepared to receive bad news, but the bad news we were expecting turned out to be potentially better news than we received.

We were both prepared, I think, to confirm that the mass in his adrenal gland was malignant. What we weren't prepared for, and I'm not sure we've processed yet, is that the malignancy may have metastasized from someplace else. How does that happen when someone is in the medical condition he's in, and going to different doctors all the time? It's becoming eerily reminiscent of what I experienced with both of my dads. One had Parkinson's and was under medical care, and one had emphysema, and was under medical care. My stepdad died less than 5 months after his diagnosis of cancer that had metastasized to his brain and spinal column, and my dad died less than 7 months after his diagnosis of lung cancer.

I'm not saying I don't expect Terry to make it through this year with whatever they find. But I am saying I'm extremely distressed to have been as demanding as I was about what he needed, only to be denied, and now possibly validated that something major was happening. There are times you want to be right, and times you hope you're not right. I didn't want to learn that he may have cancer in multiple places in his body. I wanted them to determine without a doubt that nothing was going on. They didn't, and there is.

But to learn that it may have originated in the bladder or prostate was a cruel blow. As far as we knew, there were no problems with EITHER of those areas, and it turns out one those may be the site of origin for the cancer. And there's a chance it might not be either of those sites, which means there could be more bad news to come. For now, I'm going to keep reminding myself that at least they may be on to something, and there is hope.

It has reinforced my understanding of the fact that despite the fact that doctors are the professionals, they aren't the one living with whatever medical condition it is that makes one seek out medical care. When they disregard the patient, and the patient's loved ones, they do a real disservice to those patients. If they had quit reverting back to their protocols and looked at the situation through different eyes, or our eyes, they might have seen something that might have made a difference.

We can't change what's happened. We need to look ahead and plan for the future, whatever it may bring. We've worked too hard to get there.