PET Scan Tomorrow (Friday)

I was going to post an update this weekend to let everyone know that my PET scan was coming up on Thursday (results on Friday). Plot twist: it's now tomorrow (Friday, March 30) and I would really appreciate your prayers for good news!

So here's what's going on. I found out a couple weeks ago that my workplace insurance was changing to where certain "high-cost" hospitals would have higher co-pays for services. Unfortunately, Dana-Farber (where my oncologist is) and Brigham and Women's (where all of my inpatient and outpatient procedures have been) are two of the high-cost hospitals in the Boston area (the other two are MGH and Children's).

Side note, I completely understand the move. According to U.S. News, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's is currently the #4 cancer hospital in the country, MGH is the #4 general hospital in the country, and Boston Children's is the #1 children's hospital in the country. I'm sure that 90% of issues that 90% of people face don't HAVE to be taken care of at these top, but more expensive hospitals. By making the switch, my colleagues will save hundreds and the school will save tens of thousands of dollars. (And as someone who raises money for the school, trust me - that is no small thing for a small non-profit with thin margins.)

Anyways, so I've been working with my doctor, our social worker (every patient at Dana-Farber is assigned one), my employer, and my insurance company, to figure out ways we can minimize the increased costs. The first, most obvious way was to move the scan up one week, since our new insurance policy doesn't kick in until Sunday, April 1.

So here we are. We're a bit nervous. We always are before a scan, and I'm sure we probably always will be. The fact that it's Good Friday and Easter weekend feels like it has added significance (for one reason, my dad's first cancer diagnosis happened on Easter weekend 13 years ago). It feels like in a small way, we are living the battle between death and resurrection. As Kristen observed, the good news of Good Friday and Easter weekend paints tomorrow's news (bad or good) in a whole new light. Our God suffers with us, and he is a God of resurrection and life.

Tomorrow I'll go in for a blood draw at 1:00pm. I'll start the process for the PET scan at 1:45pm and the scan itself will probably be around 3:00pm. The doctor is going to try to get expedited results from the radiologist and meet me around 4:00pm to discuss the results so we won't have to wait until next week.

Please pray for good news. Pray that whatever activity was showing on the last PET scan will have died down and there would be no more cancer anywhere. (The death of death - another Good Friday/Easter theme.) Pray for clarity in the scan and the interpretation, and not ambiguity. And pray that we wouldn't be nervous, but filled with hope and faith in Christ, by who's wounds we are healed.