Andrea had her port installed on Tuesday this past week so we were at the hospital for an operation once again. This one was much shorter, but I'm a pro now at the whole sit and wait game. After getting Andrea all prepped up and covered in her favorite warm blankets, the doctors started to come in to do their pre-surgery checks and explanations. Come to find out, the nurse anesthetist who was going to care for Andrea was a man I grew up with. It was an awesome comfort to know that she was going to be in such good hands. The surgery went well and since it was far less invasive than her past operation, we were able to head home soon after she came back to the recovery room.
This week was also full of different tests and scans. We ran into our first hiccup with the insurance company as they would not approve one of the tests the oncologist ordered. Andrea called the doctor's office and he said that it will now go into a process where he has to call the insurance company and tell them why it is necessary. He said he never loses those arguments, so we are happy it is him making the call and not us. Up to this point she has been poked, prodded, and scanned in every imaginable way to get all the information the oncologist needs before starting chemo.
We were told that with cancer you don't get to breathe easy again until the five year mark, which they consider the scientific cure. That said, the past couple of weeks since the surgery have been filled with small good signs one after the other and it is hard not to feel optimistic. It is impossible to deny the tender mercies of the Lord as we have gone through this process. We are so blessed to have found the cancer when we did, to have the doctors that we have, and to be supported by so many great family and friends. Our surgeon, who has been nothing but realistic in all of our conversations, said that everything is looking so good he expects Andrea to die very old of something else. It was a small comment but was one of the most hopeful things we've heard in a while.
Andrea has a few final tests scheduled for this week and a dentist appointment for a filling because apparently chemo messes with your mouth quite a bit and it is good to take care of any dental issues before you start. She is ready to get moving on in her treatment. For now we will spend a bit of time with family over the 4th of July holiday and enjoy some time together while Andrea is feeling good.
This week was also full of different tests and scans. We ran into our first hiccup with the insurance company as they would not approve one of the tests the oncologist ordered. Andrea called the doctor's office and he said that it will now go into a process where he has to call the insurance company and tell them why it is necessary. He said he never loses those arguments, so we are happy it is him making the call and not us. Up to this point she has been poked, prodded, and scanned in every imaginable way to get all the information the oncologist needs before starting chemo.
We were told that with cancer you don't get to breathe easy again until the five year mark, which they consider the scientific cure. That said, the past couple of weeks since the surgery have been filled with small good signs one after the other and it is hard not to feel optimistic. It is impossible to deny the tender mercies of the Lord as we have gone through this process. We are so blessed to have found the cancer when we did, to have the doctors that we have, and to be supported by so many great family and friends. Our surgeon, who has been nothing but realistic in all of our conversations, said that everything is looking so good he expects Andrea to die very old of something else. It was a small comment but was one of the most hopeful things we've heard in a while.
Andrea has a few final tests scheduled for this week and a dentist appointment for a filling because apparently chemo messes with your mouth quite a bit and it is good to take care of any dental issues before you start. She is ready to get moving on in her treatment. For now we will spend a bit of time with family over the 4th of July holiday and enjoy some time together while Andrea is feeling good.