Princess Margaret Hospital - The Initial Visit

Walking into any hospital can be extremely stressful. Lots of people bustling around and in various states of disrepair. Healthcare staff overworked, underpaid and for some, seem to have lost that human touch. Your an object to be left alone in one waiting room or another. Forgotten or overlooked. No longer a human being with feelings and emotions already scared as to the reason your there in the first place.........

Well that was definitely not the case with the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. I was taken in, height and weight measured. Surprisingly I was lighter and taller than I thought I was when I went in. Seriously!! Nurses were courteous and respectful but they actually seemed to care. They seemed to care! Sounds crazy but I have never had that experience in a hospital before. It felt like service I was paying privately for. PMH is one of the leading cancer care hospitals in the world. It definitely shows. If you know of someone who is fighting cancer, make sure you get them here. The environment itself will do them the world of good.

Onto the prognosis:
If you have to have cancer, Testicular Cancer is the one you want to have.
I am apparently a Good Risk with a high 90 percentile that I will be cured. To put it in perspective, Lance Armstrong was a Poor Risk and he survived.
I will endure 3 cycles (9 weeks) of chemo. Everyday Monday to Friday for the first week and once a week for the second and third week. In the event that is not enough, surgery would be the next step. A lymph node dissection. That, however, is a last resort and is not worth going into detail at this time.  Its not going to be easy, but its a small price to pay in order to live my life to its fullest.

On my way home from the appointment yesterday I felt such a sense of relief. For the first time in weeks I actually knew what was going on. A weight lifted from my shoulders. Christmas may not be so bad after all.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And in my case, it may only be 9 weeks away.

Stay true to yourself.

Be strong.

Livestrong!