Cathy Rigby doesn't live here anymore

Part II of my story

So the next day my brother and I try to get a hold my doctor to get the results and basically get the run around from the doctor's office (read front desk folks), saying the results haven't come in yet, he will call me, etc. etc. I decide to show up there after lunch. Talk to the front desk and ask my getting my results and the fact that the doctor had promised me the results. One of the nurses or someone was standing a bit back from the desk and said, in my opinion in not such a sweet way "You probably won't get the results until Monday, you'll just have to wait until then" Okay, I'm a pretty...emotional person to begin with, add to that the fact that the woman is a snoot and that I'm waiting to find out if I have cancer I got a little ticked. I can't remember what I said, but I basically slammed out of there and went out to the car.
My brother came out and basically told me I had overreacted, the wonderful level-headed, much less emotional person he is...I love him. *sigh* I explained to him that I am waiting to find out whether or not I have CANCER something that will affect me for the rest of my life. I told him I was not waiting an entire weekend to find out if I had it or not and that the doctor had promised, promised me he would get me the results that day. So Terry goes inside and probably apologizes for my behavior (good thing, cause I wasn't going to) and tah-dah...they got the results faxed to them in a matter of minutes....hmmm, isn't that interesting.

We go inside and into one of the exam rooms and wait for the doctor, this is one of those moments I will never forget...ever. He walks in and put his hand on my shoulder. I knew. Right then. I knew. He never would have had to say a word, I knew what the results were. I had cancer. Those words change everything you think your life is, everything you think it will be, everything you want it to be. Suddenly your world is tilted and you're not sure it will ever be straight again.

Even though I remember the moment I don't really remember exactly what we talked about, just that the results were positive for cancer and that he wanted me to go to St. Luke's in Kansas City to an Oncologist who were much better equipped to deal with this. I can't even remember that doctor's name. (must be that early onset Alzheimer's) We go over to my friend's house tell her, call my parents and tell them. Of course, everyone is so optimistic and they know everything will be okay. I was in shock.

I had an appointment for the doctor in Kansas City I believe the following week and my parents were going to come down and be there for it. They were going to their hometown to visit their parents for Memorial weekend so they would just come via KC. I went into that appointment somehow hoping that there had been a mistake that they had been wrong that the results had gotten mixed up and I didn't have cancer. I had no such luck. He confirmed that I had a cancer and recommended a hysterectomy and rather quickly as the type of cancer I had is very aggressive and they wanted to get it as quickly as possible. 24 years old, I have cancer and I'm about to lose the ability to have children...life is not fair.

I was scheduled for surgery about a week and a half later, June 7. The wonderful doctor in Lawrence (what was his name?? V something...long name...I hate that I can't remember) told me that if I had questions I could come or call anytime. So I did. So I went in one day and asked him some questions, to tell you the truth, I don't even remember what the questions were, but I do remember something. He was in shock about me having cancer and they type of cancer. He was saying he'd never seen it in someone so young, he couldn't believe it, he was basically in total shock about it. To this day, I realize...it's not a good thing to shock a doctor.

The type of cancer I had is called Mullerian Adenosarcoma. Basically it is a rare type of cancer, I don't understand all the medical mumbo-jumbo of it, but I did a lot of research on it while going through this and I did find out a few things. There are two types of cancers, carcinomas and sarcomas. Sarcomas are less common than carcinomas, the type of cancer I had occurs, or I could say occured I'm not sure what the exact statistics are today, in only 1% of all types of cancers and in only 5% of all sarcomas. I just did a quick Google on it and it seems that it still considered a rare type of cancer. I also found that, at the time it had a 50% five year several rate...50%.

Wow, sorry this is getting drawn out, but it's kind of emotional for me and takes a lot longer to type out than I thought it would. So many details. I think it's therapeutic for me to be doing this though. Part III, perhaps tomorrow. Good Night, sweet dreams.