January 24, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

Again – I wait too long to compose an entry for the blog and then have so much on my mind I want to share.

In terms of my ‘cancer’ – I’m now considered a survivor. I’ll soon approach the one year anniversary from my diagnosis. Follow-up for me means that I have a mammogram (every six to 12 months for the next 3 years) and a bone density scan for my Osteopenia / Osteoporosis (every 3 years) on Monday. This will be my first mammogram since surgery and I will confess that I’m more concerned about a false positive result than anything else.

I have the nagging worry in the back of my mind that I could have more cancer but my rational side repeats the statistical odds over and over to quiet that part of the worry. However, the false positive fear lingers and then I start thinking that something else will pop up requiring further testing.

I’m actually hoping for an improved bone density scan. The last one was done several years ago and it showed that my Osteopenia had improved everywhere except my wrists (you may recall my wrist fracture in June 2009). I don’t exercise as vigorously as I did a year ago but I take more Vitamin D and calcium plus I do passive resistance work using my wrists so I’m hopeful that there will be improvement.

Probably the most important information I want to share is that David and I are moving to Florida. I’ve written before how difficult the Michigan economy is for the private practice medical oncologist. The state is burdening physicians with additional taxes, the third party payers (insurance) are reimbursing less for the care provided and the hospitals in Michigan are struggling too so they have fewer initiatives to help. In addition, our kids are leaving the state because they can’t find jobs here.

David was offered a wonderful position with Florida Hospitals in Orlando. I was particularly struck by the hospital's religious base– something that we both appreciated when we met in 1975 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester Minnesota (a Mayo Clinic Hospital). David talked about recently walking into the hospital entrance and seeing a picture of surgeons leaning over a patient and Jesus over the surgeons guiding their work. I want us to work at a hospital like that again. I want God to be a part of everyday work-life not something that is hush-hush and fearful of offending hospital administration. David’s position will be to enhance their cancer program – much like what he’s done over the past decade. I just sent them my own curriculum vitae (resume) and I’m hopeful I can find something within the same hospital system too.

That’s our update. I’ll write more when I get the results of my mammogram and bone density scan.

Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Love,
Veronica