Just another week?

“I think sometimes that I am more positive in the blog, in writing to all of you, than I feel for myself.” So begins today’s posting on Larry Siever’s 'My Cancer' blog on the NPR website. I am only at the front end of my introduction to “Cancer World,” but already I know what he means. His posting ‘Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride,’ is well worth reading.

My lung cancer has been diagnosed for over a month now. It is Stage Four Adenocarcinoma. The medical professionals all agree that is a very aggressive form of cancer. Without treatment I have been given six months to live. When I see the sadness in the Doctors’ eyes I know that they have written me off as terminal. The statistics are not good, but these Doctors do not know me. I am not willing to roll over without a fight, nor would Bob let me. So when I hear the words, “Another week or so won’t matter,” I want to scream, “It matters to me!” Despite the cancer I am in excellent health and want to be given the opportunity to fight this cancer while there is still a good chance. According to a June 2008 research report, treatment with Tarceva may give me another two years to live. It would at least give me a fighting chance and that is all I am asking for. But lately there has been delay after delay; doctor’s schedules are full, 4th of July weekend coming up, need for pre-authorization from insurance companies, and just plain foul-ups. By placing assertive phone calls this morning (Bob), and through the efforts of my primary doctor to expedite things, we were finally able to get the Zometa infusion scheduled for Wednesday morning… it is a drug used to strengthen the bone in cancer patients with bone metastases. But it looks like another week will go by without starting any treatment for the lung cancer. To some it is just another week… to me it is one more week without treatment. How many weeks are there in six months?

… PLM