July 3, 07. The Oncotype Results

NO CHEMO.

Yay! My oncotest result was 8: "Patients with a Recurrence Score of 8 in the clinical validation study had an Average Rate of Distant Recurrence at 10 years of 6%" is what it said in the page Gabi faxed me from Oncology this morning. That means that something in the sliver of malignant material sent to Oncotype suggests that 10 years from now, I will have a 6% chance of recurrence - undergoing chemo would reduce that to 4%, which is considered insignificant.

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Being in doctor limboland had made me anxious that my results from Oncotype would arrive and nobody would inform me, so I'd called Teva early in the morning to find out when I could expect the answer. The answer arrived this morning and it was faxed to Dr. F, I was told by the Anglo lady who answered. She refused to tell me what the results were and told me to contact Dr. F directly.

I spoke to Gabi who was getting ready to leave the paggia (premature baby unit) and she told me she'd go over to Oncology to pick up the fax. It would take her about 10 minutes. Next I called Hannah, who was in the clinic. As the clinic is housed in a separate building from the hospital itself, it would take her too about 10 minutes to reach Oncology and pick up the fax.

I paced up and down waiting for Gabi and Hannah to converge on the Oncology ward and call me with the results. 10 minutes came and went, 15 minutes, I paced, I sat, I got up and paced, my heart pounding, my palms sweaty. Finally, the phone rang and Gabi told me the good news. The relief sent a bolt of energy coursing through my body.

Dr. F invited Gabi into her room and explained to her the significance of the result and told her she'd be happy to explain it to me. Is she really impervious to the trauma she'd caused me just over a week ago? Is she being arrogant or simply defensive in failing to acknowledge her oversight? I cannot begin to fathom her behavior.

I need an oncologist I can depend on. Hopefully, that will be taken care of in the next few days.