Time

No sooner than I press “publish,” I get a call from the oral surgeon. 

Cancer. 


We discussed options, with the understanding that these will be covered in more depth next week with the oncologist. But they didn’t sound great.


He recommended against surgery. It would be a traumatic, difficult procedure with considerable recovery time. And Julie’s quality of life afterward might be severely compromised. The procedure would involve removing a large chunk of her jaw. She might be unable to eat or drink. 


Radiation or chemo might, or might not, reduce the size of the tumor. But they would be stressful and difficult, and would cause her great discomfort. 


A palliative care, such as steroids, could manage the inflammation and keep her comfortable. But it would only be a matter of time. 


Yes, that word. Time. 


“How much time does she have?” I asked. 


“It could be a few weeks. It could be a few months.”


A few weeks. A few months. That’s all the time we have. 

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