Day 1 - May 16, 2012 - My new perspective

I don't really remember hearing the words because I already knew what he was going to tell me.

I have cancer.  

I knew it the day before when I called the PA back to schedule time on Wednesday, May 16th at 2PM to meet with Dr. Cutler.  Willie (my husband) and Adam (my son-in-law) had both had their first routine colonoscopy in March and neither one of them had to go in and meet with the gastroenterologist.  They just got an all clear letter and call that your polyp(s) are okay.  I on the other time didn't have any polyps at all.  Lucky me.  I just had some unusual masses.  I wasn't too worried about it because I'm so healthy.  Then the phone call..... or 6 phone calls that I didn't pick up because I didn't recognize the phone number.

So, the last words I remember hearing through the background noise of my loud beating heart, was me confirming that the next step is to set up an initial consult with an oncologist who would "stage" the cancer.  Wow!  The first of my new learning curve on cancer and my future of trying to understand medical lingo..... STAGE.  Baby steps for me......  

I sat in the sterile office waiting for longer than it took him to tell me the results of the biopsy, give me a stack of papers on cancer, and tell me he's sorry.  2:38 PM on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 I learned that I have cancer.  On the drive home I called the oncologist, Dr. Xylina Gregg at Utah Cancer Specialists to set up my consultation.  

At 3:15 PM I walked in the door of my house to see my husband sitting in the chair in the living room waiting for me.  He knew it too.  "I have cancer", I said.............  And, that's how it all started.  Let the games begin!

While I waited......