Human body puzzle

The past several weeks brought an urgency to, once again, get things in order. To make sure decisions are made, talk with those that are loved, and prepare for the next steps of treatment. A few months ago, we were told that the cancer was back. With more tests, it was not back. Then because of the spots found in his lungs, told he probably had lung cancer. More tests showed he did not. A few weeks ago, Dale was told it looked like bladder cancer had been found. With more tests, there was no bladder cancer.

A roller coaster of emotions, preparing for some kind of invasive cancer killing treatment, plagued our minds. With each clarification of the initial diagnosis, a feeling of relief was clouded with feelings of frustration and confusion.

What do doctors know any way? Do they drum up more business/income by requesting more testing, and thus more doctor visits, referrals for followup appointments, and therefore more testing? The medical billing cycle is well oiled in healthcare.

However, without doctor's opinions in personal healthcare, treatment will not happen.

We were told with mantle cell lymphoma that Dale would do well for awhile and eventually his organs would have difficulty functioning properly. Partially due to the weakened immune system and partially due to the enormous amount of chemotherapy. At each diagnosis we were ready to begin the new phase of Dale's cancer treatment, whatever that meant. Then with each false diagnosis we felt that a few more months of life have been granted.

A cancer surviving friend told Dale today, he will never feel well again. Harsh statement. What hope is there in that? Yet, it also gives hope in why he never really feels well. I have written many times in the blog, we often forget the impact  and intensity of his treatment. We just want the "cold" or "flu" to be done and get back to "normal" again. Not going to happen.

Healthcare Puzzle

Summary: the human body is a puzzle. With all its variables, healthcare people do pretty well keeping the pieces working and fitting together. Critical pieces of the puzzle may be damaged or missing and with a team of healthcare physicians, new puzzle pieces are created (prosthetics), replaced (organ transplants), or cleansed (chemotherapy). The human body puzzle is complete, yet not quite as good as the original puzzle.