Dr. Sarah and the Booby King

Tuesday started at 9:00 AM with Dr. Sarah, who is the surgeon assigned to my case.   For some reason I can’t bring myself to use her last name because she reminds me of my oldest daughter, Brittney.  So to me, she is simply Dr. Sarah.  But before we actually met, I was visited by her entourage which included a nurse and two Physician Assistants.  I guess these people are sort of like the warmup band getting me ready for the main event. 

So Dr. Sarah came in and I instantly liked her but I could tell Romeo was slightly skeptical and began giving her the third degree.  Yes, she looked very young, but my analytics quickly told me she was older than she looked.   My accounting friends will totally understand my thinking and hopefully agree with my age calculation:  College + Medical school + Residency + her fellowship + her tenure at M.D. Anderson, equals she is for sure older than Dr. Shorty Pants, and most likely in her late thirties.  So there you have it… she is old enough to be a real doctor.  Plus, this is the BEST Cancer Treatment Center in the World.  Given that fact, I am pretty sure they wouldn’t let any slackers slide in the back door. 

So after Dr. Sarah and I debated the single mastectomy versus double, we came to a negotiated agreement.  Dr. Sarah was pro-single (as was Romeo).  I was not necessarily pro-double, but since I had three doctors in the past month tell me it was my best option, I needed her to persuade me why these doctors were wrong.  Of course, she didn’t say they were “wrong” she just felt that taking a healthy breast because I “might” get cancer was not necessary.  Especially since my BRCA genetic testing came back negative that I am NOT carrying a cancer gene (can I get a Halleluiah?). Yes, my chances of getting cancer on the other side may be a tiny bit higher than the average lady, but not enough to justify doing them both.  Whew… this was exactly what I wanted to hear, because really I was pro-single too!

But, our agreement was she would remove the cancer side first and when I came back for my final reconstructive surgery in 6 months, if I wanted the other side removed, she would do it then.  She just didn’t want to jeopardize the recovery period of the “sick” side by taking the “healthy” side at the same time.    I know what you are thinking…. Why would I want to do it one at a time and go through all that pain and misery twice?  Well, her explanation was removing the healthy breast would be easier because they could do immediate reconstruction at the same time.  Either way, its two surgeries, gives me more time to think about it and won’t be as traumatic.  Boom – I’m sold!

So my next big decision was selecting a plastic surgeon.  I am pretty sure I didn’t want the surgeon who rebuilt that lady who flashed me her “new construction” at the mammogram office, but I forgot to ask who she used.  My only reference was from my friend, Trace who is actually a friend of a friend who I have become friends with in the last month.  (Sorry about using “friends” four times in one sentence.  I hope my English teachers, Mrs. Robertson or Mrs. Dodds, won’t judge me too much).  Anyway, Trace was treated at M.D. Anderson just a couple years ago.  Bless her heart, she has shared so much of her experience and has been so helpful in answering my millions of stupid and personal questions. 

Anyway, Trace believes she had the best plastic surgeon at M.D. Anderson.  Apparently, he is THE Booby King of all the Land (hereafter referred to as BK).  Besides Trace’s endorsement, I figured this out by looking at his impressive Physician profile on the MD Anderson site.  But there is bad news, when Dr. Sarah tried to coordinate schedules with BK, he was unavailable until after Christmas!    What???  Oh no!!  How can I wait that long or use anyone but the BEST?   In a sweet and understanding voice Dr. Sarah encouraged me to select someone else because I shouldn’t wait until January.  So, I tell her I will think about it and call her back.

So I begin praying at lunch that BK has a cancellation and he can see me before Christmas.  Then I start texting Trace to help me come up with a plan.  Our first plan was for me to call and say it was an emergency… I had cancer.  But, then we decided everyone probably uses that line at M.D. Anderson.  So the second plan was to call my Patient Advocate to see if she could pull any strings.  So I call and left her a pitiful voicemail that I need help getting into see BK ASAP (you know because I’m dying).  Then I call Dr. Sarah’s office (in my most confident voice) and let them know I’m not selecting another plastic surgeon and want BK even if I have to wait until January.   

You’re not going to believe this, but three hours later, I received a call informing me I have an appointment with BK for a consultation Friday and then he could do my surgery on 11/7/2012. Obviously, I accepted the appointment as I am jumping for joy, doing the happy dance, and thanking God for allowing me to see the Booby King!

So now we are just hanging out until Friday to see BK.  But, it’s not too bad because we drove to Galveston to see my Dad and Mary Ann.   It’s actually a pretty cool place to “wait” for a couple days.  We are certainly enjoying being with family, near the beach and catching a few rays.