Fertility, Second Opinion, Mental Health Updates.

Over the past week, I have used my skills as a scheduler and coordinator to the max. I should give a strong shout out to the KLIFF/VIDA lab--where I worked as a scheduler and project coordinator in my early 20s--for the opportunity to hone these skills. 

Last week, after receiving the diagnosis and the accompanying flurry of appointments, we received recommendations to: 1. get a second opinion and 2. consult a fertility specialist regarding preservation. 

Getting the second opinion requires all of the phone calls, initial forms, consents, requests for my pathology slides from the biopsy in NY, AND the surgery in VA, etc., etc.  It is essentially starting treatment somewhere all over again. It is a giant pain, but will give us the peace of mind that we have done due diligence. Our appointment is at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Tuesday July 2nd. MSKCC was recommended by Dr. Henry Lee who is a radiation oncologist with whom my primary care consults, and (conveniently) a Hackley parent of two current students. He has been incredibly helpful in helping us make decisions, and bulldozing any barriers that may get in the way of treatment. 

Consulting the fertility specialist happened with urgency because we were scheduled to begin treatment July 9th. We are staying within the Columbia system and using their midtown clinic. Because the effects of my treatment are unknown regarding fertility in women, the recommendation is to preserve embryos now. And by "now", they mean NOW! Later that day (Friday), the office had applied for me to receive financial aid for the medications from a foundation, which was approved! The foundation called me and they overnighted the first set of medications. For the rest of the medications, we are working on an application to Livestrong. If it is approved by 2pm today, they will overnight the rest of the meds. The clinic wanted to start right away, so they gave me some medications to start regardless of the Livestrong application. I went in for another ultrasound and more bloodwork this morning, and I start the injections tonight. The whole process is 12-14 days. While I am truly devastated that I have to wait MORE years to have a baby, I am grateful that science will give us the opportunity to have one... some day.... some how. 

The fertility preservation treatment will delay the cancer treatment by a week. I am now scheduled to do my first infusion on July 16th. Later that week, I will have a CT scan of chest, abdomen, and pelvis to see if the cancer is anywhere else (it doesn't matter in terms of treatment, they just want to know in general). They do not think that this treatment will be a problem for me to travel to California as planned, YAY!! Every other summer plan so far has been cancelled, delayed, or truncated. I am excited to have something go on as planned. 

I also decided that now would be a great time to initiate mental health care as well. This whole process is entirely overwhelming, unfair, and crappy. I don't plan to pretend like I am totally ok (although, I fake it well in public). Chris is on the receiving end of most of my emotions, and he is doing an excellent job-- but many wonderful clinicians went into the field to help people like me. I just hope that my therapist today is as awesome as all of my amazing friends and colleagues. On a related note: I miss you guys. 

XOXO

A