Thank the Lord, I See the Light!

If you read the previous blog, you’ll understand when I say that Robert Ian was right: I can handle the challenge and our middle road took a definite curve toward the positive outcome side. And boy, will I sleep tonight!

First bright light: we checked in at the registration desk at M.D. Anderson, then met with our financial advisor. Sonya informed us that the facilities fee and (she expected) every other expense incurred for treatment would likely be covered 100% by insurance. We have a secondary policy to Medicare so we don’t have the 20% co-pay I so feared. She gave me a very impressive binder with everything I would need for any meeting, with maps to navigate the building and surgical/treatment centers, and access to services I never imagined I’d need. But it is sure a comfort to know they are there.

My photo and fingerprints were taken and my vitals were checked. Blood pressure was 165 versus the 124 reading at Dr. Suhrer’s office this week, so yeah, though I tried to hide it, my body was shouting "stressed!"

Then Kevin and I were escorted to the seventh floor for a pre-doc meeting with the doctor’s nurse, who collected my copies of all the lab work. We explained the entire situation to her, and she briefed the doctor so we didn’t have to repeat it again.

Our oncologist was very impressive. Dr. Whitworth came into the room with an incredibly positive attitude and said that since they hadn’t done the tests and she hadn’t yet examined me, she couldn’t definitively say how minor or extensive the situation was yet. But given the treatment options, she wanted to minimize how much testing she needed to do to answer those questions. She laid out our choices and we agreed with her that the best one was a total hysterectomy (which spares me a D&C and a pelvic exam and THEN a hysterectomy anyway), which she then scheduled for Tuesday. She said that in 80% of the cases, for women who present with test results similar to mine, that’s the end of it – no chemo. If my situation reveals more dire signs during the operation, maybe she’ll need to add preventative radiation. But she’ll also take a sentinel lymph node from each leg to be sure it hasn’t spread.

If it goes the way she thinks it will, I could be done with this on Tuesday after surgery and healing and a post-op checkup.

I don’t think I could have asked for any better prognosis than that today.

More bright lights – Immediately after the consultation, her nurse gave me the pre-op EKG, the lab immediately did the presurgical blood draws, and I got the Covid test done, so I don’t have any more meetings before surgery. I have only a couple phone consultations to go. How easy was that!

Bonus light: the staff was amazing. Every single person I met gave the impression of only wanting the best for me, and they wanted to be part of making sure I got the best treatment possible. I have phone numbers for every one of them, and the invitation to call anytime about anything. I have verbal instructions and written instructions and all I need to prep for surgery, including your prayers (which I believe are powering this engine!)

So my mood has shifted 180 degrees from this morning. Yahoo! Ain’t treatment grand!!