THE BIG REVEAL

The thoracic surgeon had recommended that I see a local pulmonary specialist, and he said that an urgent referral would be sent over to Riverside Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists in Williamsburg.  Unfortunately, I called before the referral got there because I was not yet in the system, and apparently the doctor’s next available new patient slot was not until next year.  Medical providers are not as readily available in smaller cities, and they often have another office in a larger city.  

What happened next was another one of those scheduling miracles:

Since I had been working at PCI in Williamsburg for over a year now, I had become quite familiar with the Riverside Healthcare System.  I knew that I had a better chance of being seen sooner if I made an appointment at the Newport News office.  Riverside is based out of Newport News (the larger city).

Since I saw first-hand how Dr. DeRidder tenderly treated each of her patients, I knew that I wanted her to be my oncologist IF I had cancer.  Watching our team tend to each of our patients and seeing how much they gave to my father convinced me that I wanted to get my care at PCI Williamsburg.  Therefore, it would be best to do my scans and procedures at a Riverside facility so that the providers would have easy access through the Electronic Health Record system.

God blessed me with a scheduler named Susan who worked at Riverside Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists in Newport News.  She scheduled my appointment with Dr. Enilari on December 1st.  Once Dr. Enilari saw me, Susan also scheduled me for the biopsy on December 8th and then the PET scan on December 30th.

In the evening of 12/12/22, Dr. Enilari called to inform me that my large left lung mass was cancer.  It was sobering news, but I was so grateful that she had called in the evening so that I was not around my parents when she told me.  I needed to talk and pray, which I was able to with Cassie and Christine.  I was at peace with this at that time.  I knew that I needed to tell LaMont and my family, so I waited until the next morning to talk with everyone.

When I told Dr. Enilari about when the PET scan was scheduled, she said that I should see if it could be done sooner.  Again, knowing Riverside Healthcare System, I figured that it would be next to impossible to move that appointment up.  Even one of the schedulers stated that everyone wanted to get their routine PET scans done this month since deductibles will reset at the beginning of the year.  So, I asked for prayers.

I was so desperate that I even called VCU to see if they had appointment sooner.  The scheduler said December 29th.  No not any better.  There did not seem to be any sooner appointment for a PET scan in Virginia.

Luke 12: 7 (NIV) 

7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

God had still helped me to stay surrendered and not worry but to just keep trying.

COMMENTS WHEN BLOG WAS FIRST POSTED ON CARING BRIDGE SITE:

Bruce Flowers: Thanks for sharing, prayers ascending

Pam Franz: God not only sends His Angels, He calls mere humans forth to do His bidding as we assist one another as He commands.