Dad Update
Dad went to see the plastic surgeon (dr. J) yesterday. Harvard hasn't sent the physical slides yet, just the verbal word, so Dr. J can't go forward until he sees the slides. However, he does have a game plan.
If the cancer is just on the surface: He'll cut it out so there's only healthy skin left and then sew my dad up. This can be done right in his office.
If the cancer has spread and goes deeper than the surface: Dad will have to go to convenient care (where he went when he broke his wrist), get knocked out, have radioactive dye put into him and then Dr. J will see which lymph node it goes to first. Then he'll take that out and biopsy it and go from there.
I'm so scared. Last night I was thinking about some things and I got really upset. Up to this point I hadn't because my father played it off as no big deal - and he still is - but after hearing this, I just had a really hard time dealing. I was thinking about the coffe mug I had bought for my dad a few Christmases ago which said "Cortland Dad" on it. Over break my mom broke the handle off and it had to be thrown away. If Cortland still made them, I could just buy another before I graduate and give it to him for the next Christmas.
But then I began thinking, "He might not be here next Christmas." And it's such a stupid thing to think, because while he does have cancer, it's most likely caught early enough to be stopped. But there's always the unknown. It was the unknown with my grandfather, and when we found out he had cancer he was dead within two months. I don't want that to happen with my father, and I don't think it will, but I keep thinking about my grandfather and it's really scary.
I just can't jump to conclusions until Harvard sends the slides and everything is figured out. I just wish they would get it done with.
If the cancer is just on the surface: He'll cut it out so there's only healthy skin left and then sew my dad up. This can be done right in his office.
If the cancer has spread and goes deeper than the surface: Dad will have to go to convenient care (where he went when he broke his wrist), get knocked out, have radioactive dye put into him and then Dr. J will see which lymph node it goes to first. Then he'll take that out and biopsy it and go from there.
I'm so scared. Last night I was thinking about some things and I got really upset. Up to this point I hadn't because my father played it off as no big deal - and he still is - but after hearing this, I just had a really hard time dealing. I was thinking about the coffe mug I had bought for my dad a few Christmases ago which said "Cortland Dad" on it. Over break my mom broke the handle off and it had to be thrown away. If Cortland still made them, I could just buy another before I graduate and give it to him for the next Christmas.
But then I began thinking, "He might not be here next Christmas." And it's such a stupid thing to think, because while he does have cancer, it's most likely caught early enough to be stopped. But there's always the unknown. It was the unknown with my grandfather, and when we found out he had cancer he was dead within two months. I don't want that to happen with my father, and I don't think it will, but I keep thinking about my grandfather and it's really scary.
I just can't jump to conclusions until Harvard sends the slides and everything is figured out. I just wish they would get it done with.