George Costanza is one of the main characters from the show Seinfeld and we share a very similar story. In one episode George is told by a doctor that his test results came back negative for cancer. For those in the the know (AKA not me) negative results actually is a good thing and it confirms that the you do not have whatever it was the doctors were looking for.
Travel back in time with me for a bit. It is mid April and Stacey and I have come to terms with the fact that I have Lymphoma and we just want to get our treatment plan and get started. But before we do that they need to stage the cancer and let me know if it is in other places in my body such as my bone marrow. All of the news that we had been receiving about my diagnosis just seemed to get worse and I was ready for any good news. I had just had a bone marrow biopsy done and the results were in. ;)
Scene - Small doctors office where Stacey and Brian sit tensely to hear the results of the bone marrow biopsy and learn the Staging of the cancer. Door opens and doctor comes in. Greetings are exchanged and then we get down to the nitty gritty...
Doctor: So the results came back in and the results came back positive.
Stacey: (Tenses in her chair and eyes take on a sense of shock)
Brian: (Rolls back in his chair with a complete sense of relief and a huge smile on his face)
Brian: Thank God Doc because we haven't heard any good news in so long
Doctor: (Slight look of confusion to the strange patients reaction)
Doctor: O....K....... Well it seems to be in the bone marrow and we are at least looking at Stage 3.
Brian: (Confused but still waiting for the "positive" results that he promised)
Stacey: (Tearing up)
Doctor: We will set up another appointment soon. Thanks. (Leaves room)
Brian: (Turns to Stacey) Wooooooow! That guy better be coming back because all of that news was terrible!
Stacey: What???
Stacey later explained to me the confusing terminology that only people in medicine use. Positive is Bad and Negative is Good. I told Stacey after she explained all this that the Doctors need a new system for dummies like me. As soon as they walk into the hold up a big smiley face or a big frowny face! :)
I hope that this little story put a big smile on every ones face and it was just what the Doctor ordered! Have a very very positive weekend everyone or if your in the medical field have an extremely negative one! :)
Happy 4th of July! Go USA!
Brian Pritchard
Haha. Nice depiction of the scene.
ReplyDeleteLove you, Linds