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| A Leap Into Thin Air |
Our insurance is not wanting to cover the Seattle treatment plan, even though the tests confirm the size and extent of the tumor (!), that it has extended into the soft tissue, and that no one could do the work in Seattle for a number of weeks--critical, critical weeks. The surgeon here wants to get rolling asap because the tumor is close to the growth plate in her leg and the sooner they remove the tumor, the better chance her leg can be saved. Lauren's chest CT also shows spots on her lungs, but they aren't really concerned about those now.
Lauren and I left Hawaii on a red-eye Monday night, despite the lack of insurance thing. The stakes are too high at this point.
Lauren landed in Bellingham, WA, yesterday morning at 6am. My sister-in-law picked us up and drove us to her house in Seattle. It is SO cold, but the extended family went shopping at Goodwill before we got here and we now have some appropriate "summer is like winter" clothes. It's about 58'. Ugh! We crashed for a few hours after we got to Seattle and then had the initial work up at Seattle Childrens Hospital. Lauren is having the biopsy right now to confirm whether it is a ewing sarcoma or an osteo sarcoma. Keep her in your thoughts. She's in surgery now.
The surgeon doing the biopsy is one of the top pediatric specialists in the US for this type of cancer. Honolulu couldn't even do the biopsy for another 3 weeks, much less begin any type of treatment.
Todd and I are weary and emotionally spent, insurance is more than a headache, but most the family is here and/or close. Todd and my mom are at home in Hilo packing us for a year or so. Good thing: Todd may have found a way around the insurance issue. Keep your fingers crossed for us. L will be in the hospital for the bone biopsy today and must stay overnight (possibly 2) to watch for infection, which is common for this type of procedure. Please put extra special thoughts out there for Lauren for the next 72 hours. As tired and spent as I feel (and in pain from the cold with my lupus), I believe it must be 10-fold for Lauren.
Any love, prayers, and words of encouragement we can get right now are a blessing.
Our contact address in Seattle:
Lauren Selden
c/o Kris and Patti Selden
1121 82nd St.
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