Well, the world wind trip of second opinions is over. Now, the challenge is making sense of it all, as each appointment couldn't have been more different than the next.
First, we stopped at Duke. The doctor was two and a half hours late. As the wife of a doctor who sometimes runs late, I'm sympathetic. However, when a medical resident said he might not be able to see us, we kindly reminded him that we drove 7 hours to see him. His partner, a fabulous female doctor, stepped in. She was wonderful, gave us some good perspectives. But two and a half hours later when we finally saw the man we came to see - he was useless. His opening sentence was, "If you see Dr. Goldstein in Boston, why did you bother coming here?"
Part of me felt good that Dr. Goldstein was getting such high marks from the other physician. But the other part of me was pissed that this doc had nothing constructive to say, no insight to offer, no suggestions to look into. He was a waste of time.
Funny story though. I decided to get a little dressed up for this appointment. I wanted the doctor to know that we are upstanding citizens who have their shit together. We're not just a couple of shlubs. So with my cute outfit on, what's the first thing they say? Strip. Here's a hospital gown. All the doctor saw was an oversized smock they call a gown. It's the great equalizer.
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Next, we went to Sloan Kettering in New York City. This appointment was entirely different. The doctor's name is Carol Aghajanian. So the first thing you think is how do you say that? It looks like Afghanistan. Is she foreign? No, she's white and blonde and very serious. She doesn't pull any punches and she said it like it is. I was petrified. She called me "critical." She said plenty of people die from this cancer. She recommended surgery immediately and ordered a CAT scan. Plus, when I asked her about my ovaries, she said with the amount of chemo I've had she doubts the eggs are viable for anything. Ouch.
It was overwhelming. I think I knew most of those things deep down, but this is the professional sitting in front of you, looking you straight in the eye, saying it all in black and white. I cried when we left the office.
Dr. Aghajanian knows what she's talking about though. She is the only person to order a chest CAT scan. Goldstein had suggested the PET scan, which came back clear. We left her office and trekked across midtown to get a CAT scan and sure enough, she found cancer. Two nodules in my right lung. Small ones, but still. I was pissed we hadn't found that already. She again recommended chest surgery - go in, cut the spots out and close back up. Several days in the hospital and a morphine pump for pain. Doesn't sound like my idea of a good time. We left New York City with a lot to think about.
But we didn't leave the Big Apple without crossing something off Chris' Bucket List. We ate at the Carnegie Deli!! Hysterical!! The place is packed, there was a line outside, the cram you in, and practically throw the food at you. But the food is so damn good!! The sandwiches are literally the size of your head! And the place is full of pictures of famous people who have come to sample the fare. I was just waiting for them to ask for my picture. :-)
Next stop, Chicago. All three of these appointments are within 9 days of each other. The doctor in Chicago was middle of the road. He was more interested in our plight than Duke. He was kinder and gentler than NY. He too suggested surgery then urged follow-up chemo (ugh). Chris described him well by calling him the "umpire."
Now we are putting all the opinions together. Today, we are heading back to New York to see a Cardio Thoracic Surgeon who could do the chest surgery. It will be interesting to have a consultation with him and see what he has to say about the spots on my lungs.
Thanks for the continued support and prayers. I will try to do a better job of keeping everyone in the loop. This just never seems to end....
