Say What?
The doctor’s face was serious as she cut each stitch.
I joked with her. She was quiet.
Then she said, “There! That part’s done.” I caught on—that part?
She frowned, “I wondered why the pathology report took so long.”
I asked, “What are you talking about?”
She said, “The report said the cyst was undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s cancer, Bill. We made an appointment with oncology. There’s nothing more we can do. Good luck. I’m so sorry.”
I thought she would cry. I asked, “Can you please say what it is again.”
She repeated the diagnosis.
I said, “I am bombarded yet I stand.”
She looked at me, puzzled.
I said, “It’s from a poem. I often wondered how you folks handled this.”
“They will give you all that information on the way out. Good luck.”
Look both ways because life if full of surprises.
Mind the gaps.
Thank medical science and live every day with gratitude.
Our Literary Journey 
Life. Ain’t it grand how often it stands in as muse for us?
I can’t imagine how that feels when it’s directed at you. It sucker-punched me when it was for my father (different cancer, but that’s neither here nor there).
You are a cancer survivor and an inspiration to me.
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So far. We like the term NED (no evidence of disease). Technically, nobody is actually cancer free.
After radiation and surgery, I am over three years good (NED). But it was an accident to catch it that early. 🙂
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I shall keep that so far and raise you to much further 😉
And I know no one is.
Over three years is good. And what a great accident. I know of two others who had such accidents and never needed any treatment (my mother was one. 50 years ago).
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Yep. They call them ‘oops surgeries” In Europe, 40% of sarcomas are discovered that way. Anyway, it’s all good and worked for the prompt. 🙂
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40%! Who’d a thunk? And yeah, I hear ya.
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Sarcoma is “rare” and difficult to treat. But it is what it is: cancer. Having been “bombarded” with treatment (radiation and surgery), I’m good so far and evidence of hope for others. 🙂
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Figures. Cancer. Scary MF, isn’t it? I send you good vibes that you remain good. 🙂
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Thank you, Dale.
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Truer words ….. definitely!
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Thank you, Gypsie.
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This is the kind of news which really bombards us. It takes amazing strength to stand through such shock waves!
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Thanks, Ingrid.
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Bombarded indeed! That type of news hits, and it is like that. I’m glad you’re three years out and OK.
(I’ve had breast cancer.)
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Thank you, Merril. My best to you.
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You’re very welcome.
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This was a timely piece of prose as I had two rather large biopsies sent to pathology last Friday ~~~ waiting to hear is stressful. Well done, my friend.
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Thank you, Helen. Best of luck with all that.
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Oh that was hard news to get… cancer can be so many different things, but it sounds like the treatment has worked so far.
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It was found early, by accident. Treatment protocol was radiation (bombardment), then surgery. Now monitoring for recurrence includes scans and examinations. I was always more interested in what we do next then I was in the diagnosis. Yes to working (so far).
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