Not sure if it came up yet.  We have been busy.. often actually living life vs cramming cancer knowledge.

I noted Tina said it had always been the plan to move to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.  I think we knew that it was likely.  But I will say after that first day when reality caught with some overly optimistic written notes on the MRI at Virgina Mason we liked the people working with us.  When it comes to the people and the diagnostics, they were top-notch.  And Tina grew attached to the VM team and it felt like a break-up when we did decide to move.. I am sure she will tell you more about that.

Lets close out some Nit Picks with VM (small rant alert):

Yes.. I ran into some odd issues with parking… (It’s nice to make the small important when sooo much that is giant is happening to you daily)  The last time we were there I lost my ticket.  So I walked over to the booth and asked what we could do.  “Lost Ticket.. $20”  was the answer.  Clearly no options were being offered.. [This is a theme at VM.. MORE ON THAT LATER]  I was so ready to be out of there, partly because I had a small cold and voluntarily was wearing a paper mask , though I saw no one else doing it.  And because all the tests and lack of sleep…. I was just plain PO’d at life for that afternoon.  So I go to the car and resolve that $20 for 3.5 hours of parking is a small ransom to get me home fast with my wife who had spent two and a half hours alone, in prep for the PET scan.

(BTW.. for those hanging on every word  The PET scan was as normal as one could hope for someone with a breast full of cancer.  No indications of any spread outside the breast at all.  YEAH!!!!  That means everything to us. They want us to check out something lower down.. but pretty sure it was there last summer and already diagnosed benign.. and we have been told.. that is not where it would go next SO WOW!  JACKPOT  Cancer is still local to one Boob!!! )

Back to the parking RANT….So I want out.. and $20 is fine.  Except now I am in the car at the gate.and I hand him a $20.  Out comes a clip board “Can you fill out this form”  WTF!! Why not ask that when we walked up.. not when we want OUT NOW.. and people are behind us.  OMG bad business process…It may seem small but parking payments and rules at VM annoy me.. who is pocketing all this skim?  I am not filling out the BLANKING Form.. I am taking my wife home!  I am out of here.

Back to Medicine

VM Rocks in getting you into tests, getting the results fast (sometimes too fast)  and they nailed the diagnosis.  In a little over 2 weeks.. We had a pile of images, biopsy data etc.  that frankly.. is the opposite of some parts of the industrialized and socialized world.  Even Seattle Cancer Care Alliance was impressed with the speed and the amount of data we brought them for first day.  So kudos to VM. Outside of those in charge or protecting the parking profits.. Every single other person was fantastic.  I am sure to this very day.. VM was completely capable of saving Tina’s life from this pending threat of stage 3A breast cancer.

HOWEVER….

The VM team had pretty clearly steered us to a classic mastectomy, that with the one node became a modified radical mastectomy.They literally were making the preservation of any part of the breast sound like an annoying thing no one would want.  We were told it would get in the way of using the prosthetics to leave any of the breast skin etc.  Much better to remove it all and leave a classic several inch scar where her breast had been. Then after a year you can start the several month process of reconstruction.  Tina says.. they were making decisions FOR her.. and options she should have had were not being offered on equal footing.

Why do I love SCCA so much:

• $4 Maximum Parking with in-out privileges for patients!! (and the you self stamp your ticket in the lobby.. No taking of a medical history)
• Screening of people for colds etc.  I was asked about my recently ended cold and asked to put on the mask..  They are protecting those who come there to be helped and may have compromised immune systems ACTIVELY DOING IT.  So “the husband” walked around the place all day with a PINK face mask.. and glad to do it.

The exam room was very nice, but a bit small.  The cafeteria in the main building was TINY.. not the massive pseudo Denny’s at VM.  But I didn’t care.

Why do I love SCCA..  after they all examined Tina and worked through 2 weeks of diagnostic tests, our surgeon walked in and began to outline something called a “Skin Saving Mastectomy”  She said because Tina is still young that doing [what VM planned] a full mastectomy and later implants would mean she had at least one replacement coming.  They are planning for Tina to be with me for 20+ more years… So there will be a UW plastic surgeon in there for the first surgery.. helping set up the process that will allow him to rebuild her breast.. from her own breast skin and fatty tissue from her body in the end after the cancer is gone.  It will be just a few months more to a reconstructed natural tissue breast vs an implant. It that will be alive and natural and not need replacement in 10 years..

OMG!! they not only are out to kill the cancer, with the stats to prove then can…. they are planing to make my wife as whole as possible for her next 20-30 years!! I could cry..  

VM was clearly looking at treating the cancer and the 5 years survival target .. Good diagnostics, skilled doctors.. just a different view of medicine and what makes a good outcome.. IMHO..  But I really thank them and am pretty sure for an earlier stage cancer.. they have some great things to offer women. Some that only they offer.  But for Tina.. SCCA is treating her, not just the cancer.

It as a good week on our cancer journey.. $4 parking 🙂 , clear body scans and a plan to put back most of what the cancer will take.  Yes, it was a good week at our house.