SWMBO and the Seattle Cancer Center

I just got off the phone with Sandie, who has spent the past 18 hours traveling to and from the Premier Cancer diagnosis and treatment center in the Pacific North West.

Many of you have shared my concern for her future well-being (and thank you, so many of you, who have written to offer your prayers and support!)

The news tonight is 100% positive, supportive, and encouraging.

I know that Oncologists, as a rule rather than as the exception, tend to deliver the most negative prognosis possible. I think this is the result of two priorities:

1: If they can't deliver on a 'hopeful' prognosis, they can't be blamed for delivering less than their best treatment;

2: If by accident the patient is 'cured', then they look good.

A possible third priority is that if they don't expect much in the way of remission, they can't be blamed for not providing the very best treatment available.

Fortunately, Sandie was wise enough to take a day off work so she could seek a second opinion.


Here's what Sandie learned from her Day Trip:

• the local oncologist failed to provide ALL of the test results available. Why? Because it wasn't in a form suitable to faxing the information. Some of the results, including the PET CT are available only in an Email, and they failed to take the initiative to provide this information to the 'other' doctors.
• Based on the available information, there is no reason to believe that she has cancer in BOTH lungs; they only know that the upper quadrant of her right lung contains cancerous tissue.
• Based on their preliminary evaluation, the Seattle Cancer Center folks (I have GOT to get the full name of the institution .. I only know that the name I'm using is not accurate) believe that they can treat it without chemotherapy.
• The course of treatment involves giving her medicine, not "the poisons which we put in your body".
• The course of treatment will last from 9 to 12 months.
• The side effects of the treatment include acne and diarrhea ... there is not mention of hair loss, or nausea/vomiting.
• She will NOT have to move to Seattle to take the treatment. However, she will need to go to the Seattle treatment center from month to month for check-ups. (This is do-able.)
• The medicine is expensive, and may cost as much as $2,000 per month. We don't know how much her medical insurance will pay for, but this is not a matter of 'experimental drugs' so the chances are that her insurance will pay for a significant amount of the treatment.
• In her own words, she feels "encouraged". This alone is worth the trip.
• She will be able to continue working through her course of treatment. This adds a LOT to the "Quality of Life" issues, and to the affordability of the treatment.
  

I'm sure there is more information that she told me tonight, but it's late and I wasn't taking notes. I's perhaps enough, for now, to know that there is a resource which is willing to offer a positive prognosis and a positive course of treatment.

We have said all along that she will beat this. We just didn't know how.

Now, tonight, maybe we know how to beat it.

It won't be easy. It won't be cheap. It won't be without discomfort. And it won't be without fear.

But Sandie is a strong person, and she is determined.

We can do this.