So it begins...

We arrive for our first meeting with the surgeon and oncologists 15 minutes earlier than our scheduled appointment. For the next hour we wait. Wheelchairs, walkers, gray hair, bald heads... Are we really in the right place?? We feel so out of place, we feel so young, so healthy. Certainly this isn't where we are supposed to be.

"Walker"...that's us, let's go. After a quick height/weight check we go back to tiny exam room. Either Allison has shrunk 1/4" or either she never was 5 foot to begin with! Jo is Allison's "breast navigator", I never knew such a job existed! I could say something very inappropriate here but I know Allison will read this and I don't want to get punched in the stomach so I'll just keep my crude comments to myself. :P

Jo is a wonderful lady who was very compassionate and helpful. She lays out the events of the day and tell's us that Dr. Blouin, our surgeon will join us in a few minutes.

Dr. Blouin, knocks and let's herself in. She's super nice and we immediately feel comfortable with her. She tells us this looks like "stage 1" cancer but if it has gotten into the lymph nodes it will be "stage 2". They won't know that until after the surgery. Please God, let it just be a "1".

When Allison had her initial ultrasound they actually found another place that semi-concerned them. Dr. Blouin wants to get a biopsy of that location too so that she knows everything she is dealing with before surgery. We schedule that biopsy for Friday and are tentatively scheduled to meet Dr. Blouin again next Tuesday to go over the results and schedule the surgery. She agrees Allison would be better off just having the lumpectomy (praise the Lord) so that's the plan unless anything changes.

The next doctor is Dr. Grisell, he's the radiation oncologist and explains the radiation procedure that Allison will most likely go through after the surgery. Doesn't sound too bad, possible fatigue and sunburn-like rash but all in all nothing terrible.

The final doctor is Dr. Christman (hmmm "Christ-man", I like it). She is another compassionate doctor who we immediately felt very comfortable with. She is the medical oncologist and explains the hormone therapy and possibility of chemo. Allison looks at me. She doesn't want chemo. Everything up to this point Allison has readily accepted the challenge, but not chemo, not the hair loss and sickness. So, we have a new prayer...God please don't let chemo be necessary, but as always, not our will but YOUR will be done.

We leave the office feeling a huge sense of relief. Nervous about what the future holds but relief that we know what our next step is. God rarely gives you the entire picture, He generally just shows you the next step and we simply have to trust that He will take us past that step and on to the next.

Monday is probably my favorite "TV night", but tonight I just want to kiss my wife and kids, tell them I love them and let God rock me to sleep. I want to crawl up into my Father's arms and experience the "peace that transcends all understanding". How does anyone who doesn't have a relationship with Christ deal with life's trials? I cannot imagine. Hold me Jesus, I'm sleepy.