The Glass is Half Full

Earlier this week, Derek learned that he does not carry the gene mutation for BRCA1 or BRCA2. This is a huge victory for us, giving us peace of mind. With Derek's results coming back as negative, it immediately eliminates the burden our children could carry throughout their adult lives.

Yesterday, Derek and I returned to the University of Chicago for the first time since our meeting with Dr. K last month. It's amazing how much life has changed in such a short amount of time. In this last month, Derek has endured two rounds of chemo, adapted his demanding work schedule, and learned how to manage a myriad of side effects with a medley of medications.

When we first learned of Derek's diagnosis as a borderline resectable tumor, we immediately adopted the mantra "get to surgery" to keep ourselves focused on a short-term, attainable goal. With two rounds of chemo down and two to go until the restaging of his cancer, we were advised to set up a surgical consultation to better understand our next steps. We were eager to hear what a gastrointestinal surgeon specializing in pancreatic cancers could tell us about Derek's case.

When we sat down with the surgeon, Dr. M, he began by drawing a picture of Derek's organs on a piece of paper setting up the game plan for Derek. Because Derek's tumor has invaded the celiac artery, it makes his tumor more difficult to remove. He explained that he hoped Derek would be a candidate for something called the Appleby Procedure, which would allow the surgeon to remove the celiac axis, the bottom half of the pancreas and the spleen.

Dr. M shared with Derek that he believes he will get to surgery this spring. He went on to explain that even though he is optimistic, it may be too dangerous to complete the surgery once they go in. You can choose to hear that information in one of two way: surgery is an option or surgery, though an option, may not be completed. We chose to hear the former. We know that some surgeons may not even attempt a surgery, so we left the meeting feeling very encouraged.

We choose to be hopeful. We choose to be optimistic. We choose to believe that Derek will get to surgery.