The Waiting

After being released from the hospital, a little more than 48 hours after my shocker brain scan where I learned I had two brain tumors, the waiting began. Waiting for the all important call telling us when the surgery would be - and where. Though we were waiting, we weren't still.

For a few days we anticipated heading north to Morgantown for a Friday surgery, so we 'advertised' our need for friendly housing for Mike while I was hospitalized at Ruby Memorial Hospital. Very quickly three offers arrived. One friend lived in the same building as Dr. Fukushima, another worked at Ruby Hospital, and the third used to work for Mike. Just as quickly as we received the offers, I learned that an emergency surgery in Morgantown bumped me into the next week and therefore, to Raleigh NC.

Meanwhile, I was also busy trying to persuade a medical friend to get us a copy of my MRI with Mike's humor. "We're trying to figure out what to put on next year's Christmas card." As well, I continued making daily, polite phone calls to Lori, Dr. Fukushima's administrator asking, "Please call as soon as you have a definite date for my surgery." I received the MRI pics before I received the actual surgery schedule. I'm never as funny as Mike.

The all important call arrived after normal office hours. The news was to be in Raleigh on January 15th for consultation with Dr. Fukushima and surgery would be done the next day, January 16th, in the morning. Details would be sent to us immediately. If we had further questions we could call.

What a relief! Worries about ingesting high doses of steroids indefinitely were allayed now that a clear ending was in sight. Along with relief came the realization that though one waiting period had passed, we'd simultaneously begun a ten-day wait until the surgery. Another long wait would follow the surgery, the longest wait of all - pathology.