The usual, stress of waiting for the call with the appointment, was accompanied by the stress of what is going on within while waiting. I know only too well how fast these things may or may not go. Has it spread?, has it gotten any bigger?, are any other areas now involved? Has it metastasized to any organs?
Well not that those questions were stress enough, our van had to develop problems which began Friday night and only got worse. So it is in the shop as I write, I am awaiting it's diagnosis and cost to repair! Been there two days so far and only a guess on the problem. When the mechanic test drove it, it was fine! Fine? Being stuck in the wrong lane during rush hour on a Friday night then again on Saturday, with a vehicle that just "quit" and won't start is NOT FINE. So the jury is still out on that one.
These worries have become common place for us, and no, you don't get used to them. I guess it should be relatively easy though, because I recently had someone tell me, " your not the only one to ever get cancer, so get over it". Nice huh. Well, I did not even respond to that as it would have been a complete waste of time. Time I would never get back, therefore time I would much rather spend on more positive things.
I decided to take things into my own hands about worrying over the scan, and made a phone call to the hospital in London, ON that I was being referred to for the PET scan. I wanted to know what the status of the application to the clinical trial was, as that is what I was referred to in order to get a scan covered by OHIP ( Ontario Hospital Insurance Plan). I was surprised to find out that my application for the trial that was submitted by my Oncologist was rejected. I didn't qualify! Before I had a chance to explode as I was ready to do, the receptionist on the other end of the phone informed me that my Oncologist had already submitted a new request, this time through the Ontario PET Access Program. She also informed me she would call PET Scan Ontario to check on the status of the application for me.
The receptionist, I believe her name was Lindsay, called me back within minutes to inform me that due to the late hour, she got the answering service and promised to follow up in the morning and get back to me on the status of the application. This morning I also contacted my Oncologists office to see what they might have heard about the request if anything, I had to leave a message which I did. Just before lunch time today Lindsay called my from London with the news. My application for the PET scan under the PET Access Program had been accepted and that she had an opening this Friday and would that be OK with me. I told her Friday would be fine and thanked her for everything she had done for me. Shortly thereafter my Oncologists office called back, I informed them London had just called me with the approval to have the scan and my Oncologists nurse confirmed the same as they had just received a copy of the fax confirming it.
So now we move toward the next step of this journey. Once my Oncologist receives the report from the PET scan we will move forward with a treatment plan. A lot is riding on this scan, so the worries are not over just yet. What will it show? Will it be stage 1? or is there more than one area involved, if you remember a post or two back I mentioned that the Gallium scan I had in January did not show activity in the nodes in my chest
(which a biopsy proved wrong) and did show activity in the upper right neck just beside my ear.
Now that I know the Gallium proved to be wrong on the chest nodes, is it, or isn't it, right or wrong about the activity in the neck? Thus the PET and the outcome of the results riding on it! So lots to worry about yet, but then again, I'm "not the only one to get cancer", so I should "get over it" right?
Love and Hugs to everyone in their journey where ever that may be.
Tim, xxx
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