Print This Post

We weave through the corridors of the hospital and turn left in a basement area on our way out to the MRI trailer. To my shock, there stands our Internist, fresh from his busy office. He comes to me and tells me she has a brain tumor. It’s a big brain tumor, as long as my finger. It starts at her right ear and goes in to the center of her brain.
I do remember hearing him. I felt nothing at first, just numb. Then, there were a flood of questions, none of which would form in to coherent sentences. I then just stood there. I said nothing. I was given a phone number and name of a neurosurgeon. My doctor had already called his office and they were scheduling my wife for brain surgery. Whoa. Brain surgery is not something you just drop in to your calendar. I need to know what’s going on. But, it’s also not about ‘me’. It’s suddenly about what is the best thing we can do to save my wife’s life. Maybe it’s not cancer. I asked him this. He said it was unknown at this point. The probability is that it would be.

(editor’s note: Ken would soon have to form a critical path decision making process. He tells me that is a cliche in his business world. But, it is essential to have a critical path of decision making in cancer treatment. Ken needed to get Shirley solutions fast. Often, insurance will cover a clinical trial if the patient fails conventional treatment. But, with only 54 weeks available given Shirley’s diagnosis, would the Ballingers have time for Shirley to fail the conventional treatment and therefore both qualify and receive coverage for the clinical trial?”)