This is really bad.That’s what I thought when I saw Jamie Crase’s scans and pathology reports.
Her odds of surviving five years were less than 20 percent, but I didn’t tell her that.
She was already scared to death.
But I don’t see the point in focusing on the negative.
It’s about moving forward.
And it’s your best chance of being cured."
This was a Monday.
We scheduled the surgery for Thursday.
There was no time to waste.
We get things done.
I didn’t hug her good-bye, because I don’t typically hug people I don’t know.
I just told her, “I’ll take care of you.
I remember the walls the most.
I’d recently gotten back from vacation in Vietnam and thought I’d just picked up something there.
Cancer had never crossed my mind.
When Dr. Goff walked in, I felt instantly comfortable.
She has this powerful, take-charge, kick-ass air about her.
Then she said it was going to be a rough surgery.
I was sitting there in shock.
“Can we harvest some of my eggs?”
She told me that there was no time and that my eggs were too diseased anyway.
That’s when I started crying.
Afterward, I’d think,What else can I do?It was a mother’s instinct.
She is only six years older than my daughter.
Once she finished her chemo, she went for a final CT scan.
As I studied the results, the joy bubbled up inside me.
She was waiting in an exam room.
To be cautious, I examined her first.
When everything felt normal, I shared the good news.
I was so excited.
It’s the best part of my job.
I said, “Your cancer is in remission.
I’m very pleased with these results.
You should be, too.”
I remember her just hugging me.
It wasn’t the first time, but this was a special one.
She squeezed me extra tight.
So did her mom.
So I was hoping for good news.
The treatment was hard.
With no immune system, I basically had to live in a bubble.
No kissing, no touching, no crowds.
I had to quit my job and wear a mask whenever I went out.
At first, I was so angry.
Like,Why me?Then I was just sad.
I felt so alone.
But every time I’d see Dr.
Pro, she’d smile and rub my shoulder and say, “You’re almost done.”
It always made me feel better.
On this day, when she walked into the exam room, she didn’t say much.
She just started checking me out right away.
She felt my neck, elbows, groin area and under my armpits.
And then she smiled this big smile.
When my mom asked her for the CT results, Dr.
Pro said, “There’s no recent activity from the tumor.
You are in remission.”
I was so happy that I jumped up and gave her a hug.
Then I hugged the nurse.
