Chapter
54
One week
later
“Okay, Elyssa, I have some news for you.”
Elyssa swallowed hard and looked up at Dr. Sanford. Her mouth felt as dry as cotton. “Good or bad?” she asked hoarsely.
It had been a week since Elyssa had confided in her three
best friends, and they had finally persuaded her to call the doctor. Elyssa had insisted on going by herself to Tampa,
where Dr. Sanford worked, for her appointment, and demanded that her friends
not tell AJ. Elyssa insisted that he
not know anything until she knew what was wrong with her.
“Well, a little of both, I think,” Dr. Sanford replied
slowly.
“A little of both?
Okay…” Elyssa said, trailing off, her heart hammering loudly in her
ears.
“Which would you like to hear first?”
Elyssa sighed heavily.
“Better give me the bad news first,” she said reluctantly.
Dr. Sanford nodded, clearing his throat.
“Well, Elyssa, unfortunately, your cancer has relapsed. While there is no evidence of cancer cells
in your bone marrow yet, which is a very good thing, there are more cancer
cells in your blood.”
Elyssa struggled to keep from crying. “Do I have to have more chemo?” she asked
shakily.
“Usually, second rounds of chemotherapy are not as
successful as the first. I would rather
try radiation therapy,” Dr. Sanford said.
Elyssa nodded, feeling relieved. At least she wouldn’t have to go on chemo
again. From what she had heard,
radiation was a much easier treatment to have to go through.
“However,” Dr. Sanford continued, “there’s something else I
need to tell you before we discuss your treatment.”
Elyssa looked up at him.
“Is this more bad news, or is this the good news?” she asked.
Dr. Sanford sighed.
“That depends on which way you take it,” he said. Bluntly, he continued, “Elyssa, you’re
pregnant.”
Elyssa’s eyes widened.
“Pregnant? Wow, that’s… that’s
great!” She could not help but smile.
Dr. Sanford, however, did not. “There’s a problem though,” he said.
“A problem? With
what? My baby?” Elyssa asked in alarm.
“No, the baby seems fine at this time, although you’re only
about two months pregnant, so it’s a little hard to tell at this time. It’s about the radiation though. You see, pregnant women cannot have radiation
treatments.”
Elyssa’s heart turned to ice. “Wh-what am I supposed to do then?” she
whispered.
“You really only have two options,” Dr. Sanford replied
grimly. “You can have the radiation, but
it will terminate your pregnancy. Or you
can go back on chemo instead and have your baby.”
Elyssa began to cry then.
It was all too much for her.
Such a hard choice. It was her
life, or her baby’s life. Which would
she choose?
It was not as hard as Elyssa originally thought. “I want the baby,” she said to Dr. Sanford,
her voice barely above a whisper.
Dr. Sanford nodded.
“Now, like I said, chemo might not be as successful as radiation would
be, and-“
“I know, and I don’t care,” Elyssa replied firmly, her mind
made up. “Who knows, the chemo might do
the trick. And if it doesn’t work right
away, I can have radiation after I have the baby, right? I couldn’t kill my own baby just to get a
treatment that might not even cure me.”
Dr. Sanford nodded again.
“I understand,” he said. “And I
think you’ve made a good choice. But
what you need to do is go home and talk about this with your boyfriend, make
sure this is what you really want to do.
Today’s Saturday. You go home,
spend the rest of the weekend there, and then I want you checked into Tampa
General Monday morning so we can begin your chemo, if that’s what you still
want.”
Elyssa nodded.
“Thank you,” she whispered, but she felt no gratitude. Why had this happened? Why was she being put through such a hard
thing? Elyssa didn’t know. All she knew was that it was happening, and
she was being put through it, so she might as well make the best of it, no
matter how hard it would be.
***
