Rain Rain Go Away!

Not a big fan of Mondays and not a big fan of rainy days. Therefore today was just a blah kind of day. I spent 4 1/2 hours with Jerome again today. I keep telling Pat he has nothing to worry about but I think he's starting to get suspicious. My love affair with Jerome is neither here nor there however. Let's get down to business.
On today's agenda, an update on Mark. Last Wednesday, Mark had CT scans done on his abdomen, chest, and neck. They were supposed to get all of the results that same day but unfortunately that wasn't the case. What we DO know: his abdomen and chest scans were great! We had to wait all weekend long not knowing about the neck. And of course, the longer you have to wait the more scenarios you put into your head. "Maybe they're taking so long because there's something wrong." Today Mark finally got a call about his neck scan but he didn't get to speak to the doctor. He spoke to the physician's assistant who gave him some unclear and misleading information. We're still not sure about the neck results but what we've gotten out of it so far seems promising. Hopefully we'll know more about that soon. IF the scan of his neck comes back clear then it is my understanding that at this particular time Mark is cancer free! The problem with being cancer free though, (I know what you must be thinking... problem with being cancer free?!?!? How can that be? I'll explain) when you're cancer free insurance isn't as likely to pay for any "preventive treatment." Mark might be eligible for another clinical trial in which he might be able to prevent cancer from spreading to his brain again. However, if he has no measurable amount of cancer in his body, the treatment would be preventive and therefore might not be covered. You don't want to get me started on that whole subject. Yeah I know, insurance companies are running a money-making business so they have to worry about making money, yada yada yada. HOWEVER, to a certain extent they hold people's lives in their hands. They have the ability to make or break someone taking measures to prevent diseases and often they break these opportunities by not helping people pay for them. Opps... looks like I got myself started on the subject. My apologies. I'm done now (I feel much better too - thanks!). Back to the good news. I am so happy for the good results but I think this roller coaster ride is catching up with all of us. It's hard to believe how mentally draining it really is getting good news then bad news then good news then bad news and worst of all, just never knowing what to expect with each new test. It's so hard being away from home with this going on too. When I'm living with them, when they know something, I know something. When I'm living in BG I sit and wait for them to call and then usually grow impatient and then start calling them and bugging them until they know something. Don't get me wrong, this is not a pitty-party for me. I feel terrible for my mom and Mark. I can't imagine what a toll this has on them. Well, it's way past the time I had designated as my "bed time" for the night. What's new. I have a lot more to tell you though. Coming up next: Where will my life will be taking me next year, interested in the sex of my sister's baby? How would you like to see a picture of my new car? Interested in the new house my Dad and Jill built? Would you like to know the potential breed of dog I picked so when I actually have time for a pet 5 years down the road I will be prepared? All this and more, after these messages. :)