MD Anderson Cancer Center

God has answered at least one of our prayers!  Yesterday I was told that MD Anderson could not get us in for a visit until after the New Year, so we reluctantly scheduled an appointment with another cancer center for Friday. Today, I received a call that the oncologist at MD Anderson would see me today.  Of course I accepted.

MD Anderson is one of the top cancer research centers in all of the United States.  And they have a treatment facility in The Woodlands, about 15 minutes from our home!  We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be treated there.  My doctor is a female and her mother had breast cancer, so she has experienced it firsthand and has the professional credentials as well.  She is thorough, and even came to the office on her “off” day to see me today.  I like her already.  And, I complimented her on her boots (they were really cute.)

The treatment team is wonderful!  I felt supported all the way from the first phone call to the exit door.  The Nurse Navigator walked with me each step of the way (I think we would have called her a case manager in my day).  The social worker is there to provide information on videos and other resources for emotional needs (and lends a shoulder to cry on).  Their staff are extremely pleasant and friendly, and they did not seem eager to rush through the process.  There were at least 7-8 people who provided a unique and special touch as they “welcomed” me to the center.  I know I’m in the right place.

Remember our motto?  “You’ve got to live it to learn it.”  Well, we’ve learned a lot more about breast cancer than I ever knew before.  Living it certainly has given us a different perspective.  I’ll give you the brief version, as there are many numbers and levels too difficult for me to explain.  You can feel free to skip the next paragraph if you aren’t interested in the diagnosing process.

There are two things we need to know in order to start treatment: stage and type.  We are still in the diagnostic phase, and more tests (CT and bone scan, as well as a biopsy of the skin) will tell us both.  Once we know the stage and type, we can determine the type of treatment.  We do know that Staging is based on T (size of tumor), N (whether it’s in any lymph nodes) and M (Metastasis).  We know the T and N, but not the M.  The tumor is more than 2 cm and the N>0, so this means chemo for sure.  People may have all kinds of advice, but we feel peaceful with our decision to listen, trust the doctors, and move forward with any recommended treatments. They are scheduling my tests for next week.

The good news is, chemotherapy doesn’t make one as sick as you see in the movies.  In fact, most women keep working and don’t miss more than a few days of work in a six month period.  Work is a good diversion.  My doctor doesn’t want me to stop life.  In fact, she says we’ll work around life.  Life should never stop for chemo, but it’s going to be a reality in my life for the next six months.

Some adventures happen by choice, and others by chance.  We’d like to be in total control of our lives, but God is in control and we will look to Him for guidance.  Sometimes we try to take the mystery away from God, and figure it all out ourselves.  But we can’t know it all.  This is where faith comes in.  He does know it all, and therefore we must trust that His plan is perfect.

Selling the fifth wheel and moving into a home where I can have room to heal seems like the right thing to do next.  So we are looking for a house to rent in the general Houston area, where I can be close to my doctors.

Thus ends our RV adventure, and begins a new journey we never in our wildest dreams thought we’d ever start.  Thank you for sticking with us through this journey.