Staying Afloat

This is not going to be a fun post to read. It was not a fun post to write.

I had another scan this week. If you’re wondering what the results were, I’m going to politely ask you to read this entire post. There’s a reason, I promise.

Monday: Insurance

My scan was on Tuesday, and Monday was an in-service day at work, which meant no students or classes to teach. “Scanxiety” had long ago set in and I was looking forward to a bit of distraction. I walked out of a meeting at 9:45 to find a voicemail from the radiology department of UPenn. The speaker informed me that my insurance company had denied my request for my MRI, which was scheduled for 9:00 the next morning. Furthermore, if I couldn’t get it straightened away by 2 PM, I would lose my appointment slot. I was floored: why was this an issue now and not when I made the appointment back in August? The shock quickly changed to panic. If I couldn’t make my MRI, my oncology appointment the next day would be pointless, and it would take me potentially weeks to get in again.

As I tried to reach the Nurse Practitioner with the Sarcoma Program at Penn, our HR person at work helped me reach my insurance company, since my case manager was not able to be reached. This insurance company put me in touch with a third party that does insurance authorizations and was apparently responsible for the refusal. The third party informed me that I already had an MRI on file and could not have repeat imaging done without winning an appeal of the decision. I finally reached someone at the Sarcoma Program on the fifth try an hour later, and the nurse assured me they’d work as fast as possible. It was 11 AM by now, and we were racing against the clock to get this so I could keep my appointment. As I bounced from phone call to phone call, 2 PM passed. Fortunately, my new best friend in the Radiology Department told me the Director of Radiology would extend the deadline, as the office was actively working to straighten things out.

Does it sound chaotic and stressful? Let me assure you, it was.

At 5:15, I got a call from the Nurse Practitioner that my scan for the next day was on. She shared in my frustration, as she had to reorganize her whole day as well, and apologized that I had to go through it. Then she shared the hold-up: the third party thought I was not currently in treatment.

Tuesday: Scan

I arrived early for my MRI. When I give my name at check-in, the receptionist sighed, “oh, I’m so glad your authorization went through!” (I guess my issue was quite well known at that point amongst the staff at the office.)

I went back to prepare for my scan get the IV for contrast put in. The tech remembered me from the last visit when it took four attempts to get a vein. I was embarrassed – was that my reputation there now?  They got it on the first attempt this time, though they went through a vein in my wrist, which hurt whenever I moved in the slightest. I listened to Queen inside the machine, since I listened to Michael Jackson the first two scans, and I was looking to break my streak of bad luck.

I was ready for good news.

Wednesday: Appointment

I stayed up as late as I could on Tuesday night and tried to sleep in late on Wednesday. My appointment was at 2:15, and I could feel my heart beating through my chest beginning around 9 AM. I did everything I could to keep myself calm and distracted: read, watch Netflix, even practicing hand lettering, which was widely unsuccessful with my shaking hands.

By the time I was ready to go over the bridge, I felt like I was going to get sick or burst out into laughter. At the start of my appointment, the nurse took my blood pressure, which was through the roof. I told her I anticipated as much and described how anxious I was about the appointment. With a wide grin, she said that I sounded like I was on speed.

A few minutes later, my oncologist walked in. He said my tumor was “the same.” Specifically and scientifically, it was the same in two directions, grew two millimeters in the third. I had prepared myself for two results: growth or shrinkage. I knew that if this thing grew, we’d opt for aggressive treatment. If it shrank, we’d stay the course. I hadn’t really thought through what it would mean if I basically got news.

My oncologist suggested another oral chemotherapy. I couldn’t help it: the tears started flowing. I’m sure it was confusing to my doctor; it was confusing to me.

Here’s the best I’m able to explain it: I had worked so hard to get myself comfortable with the idea of more aggressive treatment. I was ready to take time to focus solely on battling this disease and shrinking this thing that’s been only growing since I started treatment in March. (And yes, just a few millimeters still counts to me as growth.) To try a new oral chemo felt like starting back at square one. I was trading fatigue and nausea on one drug for fatigue and edema on a new one. He also shared that it would take six months to chart any change or progress.

I expressed my frustration: I was ready to shrink this thing, and I was discouraged and tired from 9 months of failed treatment. (Hearing that I was tired, my doctor offered that since Desmoids are so unpredictable, I could do nothing and see if it stayed the same on its own. That scared me even more.) It’s not that I wanted more aggressive treatment and the slew of side effects that go with it: I wanted change. And if it meant aggressive treatment to get to a place where I’d have some tumor-free years, sure, bring it. I was less afraid of change than I was of the status quo, of mediocrity, of more of the same. I understand and agree with his call, but it doesn’t hurt less.

The rest of the meeting was talking and listening and to be honest, I don’t remember most of it. What I do remember are the words that have been ringing in my ears ever since: “This could just be something you live with your whole life.”

It was terrifying to hear, but not because it’s the first time I’ve heard it. I’ve just never heard anyone other than the voice in my head say it.

In the Water

The reason I asked you to read this whole entry is that it’s long and frustrating and boring. It’s a glimpse into what my day-to-day life is like living with an incurable form of rare cancer. Despite my best efforts, no one wants to read about battling with an insurance company. It’s just not an exciting narrative.

Being on chemo is like treading water. You’re tired, it’s incredibly overwhelming, and at all times you’re aware there’s a chance you might drown. You see other people swimming perfectly and you’re unable to get into a rhythm. Sometimes you feel like you’ve gotten the swing of it, and others you’re gasping for air desperately trying to afloat. You’re aware that the sun is sometimes shining or the water is comfortable, but it’s not always a thought you can register. You ache for the ability to become buoyant and swim. Imagine then, treading water, while others swim by and tell you that you’re lucky that you haven’t drowned.

I’ve struggled with sharing these scan results and appointment outcomes. When sharing my scan results, I’ve frequently had people suggest other perspectives. I have heard things like “at least it didn’t grow,” or “well, you’re not heading into surgery.” These are both accurate and completely valid points, but it does not change how I feel, especially when sharing the news so soon after my appointment. I’m disappointed and frustrated, and I think I have every right to be. I hope to live well into my eighties and to think that I could be fighting this thing for over 50 years is devastating. I want to get to that place of optimism and determination, and I do think I will. But now, in all honesty, I’m just not. People often comment on my strength, and truthfully, don’t feel stronger than the next person. It’s simply not realistic to act strong all the time, either.

Right now, I’m not feeling strong, I’m feeling tired. I’m feeling frustrated. I’m feeling disappointed. I need some time to regroup and figure out steps I can take in the next few months to feel fulfilled and happy, chemo and all. I think I’ll get there. First, I need to figure out what that means to me.

Thanks, as always, for following along with my triumphs and challenges – and for your willingness to listen.

PS: For a helpful perspective on empathy from someone who studies it for a living, check out this short animation with words from Brene Brown. She’s got some great advice on what’s helpful and what to avoid when speaking with someone who’s facing a challenge.