What Would You Do?

I have a choice.

It’s not an easy choice. Nor is it straightforward.

It took me months to be strong enough to face it.

It took more months to make it.

I have made my decision.

But I wonder…what would you do?

Your Situation

Your PET scans indicate that you have no hypermetabolism in your body. Based on this, your doctors have used the word “remission”.

Yet, deep within your pelvis you have a residual mass. It measures ~14mm in diameter.

Protocol calls for resection—complete removal of the tumor.

“Complete” means that they cut into the surrounding healthy tissue to the point where they are certain that they have removed all the diseased tissue—just like your dentist drilling out your cavity prior to filling your tooth. They get it all out, to reduce the risk of future relapse.

Your residual mass sits next to a major vein, your femoral nerve, and your iliac artery.

You are in constant, low-grade pain. Every minute of every day you have a dull ache from the interior of your left hip. When you exercise, that pain increases unpredictably. Sometimes it is slightly louder, though still dull.

At other times it’s insistent, brassy.

You know that cancer is within you...every day.

Your Choice

You can have surgery, or you can be monitored.

Surgery means you likely will lose your leg.

Monitoring means you risk another relapse.

What do you do?

- - -

In its simplest terms, that is the choice I have faced these past few months.

There is much more to the story than that, and I will share it with you.

The journey to my decision took months and miles and money. It involved tests and scans, oncologists and surgeons, four hospitals in four states, deep reflection, and the most disciplined decision-making of my life.

I know that my choice defines every day of the remainder of my life.

Yeah. It’s like that.

It’s like Life…but more so.

So...what do you choose?

Risk losing your leg?

Risk cancer’s return?

Think it over.

I did.