On Monday, October 7, 2013, I heard my doctor speak the word that chills people's very souls, "cancer". On the positive side, it was said after the words "possible," and "early-stage. Still, the word was out there, on the table (so to speak), and it was done so well, by a doctor whom I truly respect.
His full title would be, LtCol David D. Gover, MD, Chief of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at David Grant Hospital on Travis AFB. To me, he's just "Dave," a friend, and a fellow congregate of Vacaville Second Ward. Dr. Dave is great, both as a doctor and a friend. We've watched his family grow, and we've worked together when I was part of the Bishopric, so our friendship began. He is the guy who introduced me to Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI), as a means of managing back pain. I remember it like it was yesterday, but it was almost seven years ago. Dave asked me, "What would you think if I told you I could relieve your back pain for 90 days?" I joked about kissing him on the mouth (which he declined anyway), and once I got through the Referrals process, I got my first ESI in February of 2007.
I've learned a lot about Dave, through the hospital grapevine, and it seems that everyone there loves him. I know his IR Staff cares a great deal for him, and speak nothing but great things about him. I found out that, for a time, I was one of his "favorite patients" because he could actually see the difference the ESI therapy has on me, whereas his general duties mostly involved people who were terminally ill. I, on the other hand, walked out better than I walked in, and it helped him keep things in balance. If that's so, I am one proud patient.
On this past Monday, Dave asked me if I would let him look at my CT/PET scans and he'd tell me what he sees; I'd have to be crazy to say "no". When he got done, he explained that one nodule on my left lung had changed, and that it didn't look good (the fact that the sentence stopped at that point didn't jar me). He said that they would probably want to biopsy it, and possibly wedge it out. Hearing this from a trusted friend was a really good thing for me. Because of our friendship, he knew the tone and words to use to get across some problematic ideas, and I left that appointment with the confidence to do whatever it takes.
Half an hour later, I'm meeting with a thoracic surgeon, who's trying to figure out how to get started. I tell him about my appointment with Dr. Dave, and he visibly relaxed. I parroted back what Dave had told me, and he nodded, and added, "We'll biopsy it on the spot, and if it is cancerous, we will remove the upper lobe of your left lung."
I have to admit, that one kind of got to me, and my next swallow was pretty dry, but I kept eye contact with the doc and said, "Then let's get it done."
So now I have an appointment on October 29th, to get it done. I'm OK, I think. I've never had an actual surgery, cataracts, but nothing they had to put me under for. Until now, that is.
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