by Amber Lynn
Evidently it was only good for business, because she sat there waiting to discuss her options. The words early and stage one had been used, so evidently there were options.
As general thoughts about anything other than cancer floated around in Casey’s head, her doctor entered the room. Dr. Katherine Hayes had been seeing Casey since she’d moved to town, which meant they had quite a few years of visits under their belts. She was a friendly woman, but she didn’t sugarcoat anything, which was what Casey liked about her.
Even though the doctor was older than her, with some gray strands in her brown hair and well-defined laugh lines, the parts of her life that she’d shared over the years made her seem younger than Casey. Casey told herself the wild tales the doctor told her were the cause of the signs of age, them and the fact that she had three kids.
“So the day’s finally here. I really hoped we wouldn’t have this conversation, but I suppose it’s a good thing we knew it could be coming. I think it’s probably easier for both of us versus a diagnosis out of the blue.”
“I should’ve just chopped them off when I turned eighteen. Then we wouldn’t have had to go through any of the fun tests. Have you been keeping count over the years? You said it was one-A, right? That means it hasn’t spread to the lymph nodes, if the Internet can be trusted.”
Or the million pamphlets and books Casey had collected over the years. They mostly all said the same thing, but Casey didn’t want to miss anything, so she picked up everything she found on the subject.
“That’s right. The little lump you felt is still small, but with how aggressive it can be, I’d like to get it out as soon as possible. It’s not far enough along that chemo needs to be brought up, so radiation or surgery are the options I would suggest.”
“Knowing my family history, do you think radiation would take care of the problem on a permanent basis?”
Casey didn’t need to watch Katherine’s green eyes for a hidden answer. She knew it was time to chop the girls off. Even if radiation or surgery to remove the growth helped in the short term, chances were high it would come back.
“I think you’ve already made up your mind about what you want to do. The remaining question is when. We can get you in next week if you’re ready for it. I know I said we need to move fast, but people usually want to take a few days to think things over, discuss the decision with their family. Usually, it’s a month before they’re prepared to have the surgery.”
“If I didn’t have plans for tonight, I’d try to get in today. I haven’t really decided if I’m going to get some fake ones installed, but I’m hoping that’s a decision I can make another day.”
Casey knew she’d eventually get reconstruction surgery done, she just didn’t have time for the recovery that went along with it.
The doctor nodded. “Some people like to have everything done at once, but it doesn’t have to be.”
“As someone who knows me, how long do you think I’ll be down after the surgery? I know I’ll have to take a day for the surgery, but I need to figure out some things at work. I guess I wasn’t expecting you to tell me next week.”
Casey was thankful they were moving quickly, but she’d hoped to have the procedure done while she was on a scheduled vacation. She’d spoken to the surgeon she knew would do the surgery many times, so she had most of the details. He’d given her time frames, but he didn’t know her as well as Katherine.
“Without the reconstruction, it won’t be as long, but I’m afraid you probably won’t feel like working for at least a couple weeks. I’m planning for the surgery on Thursday, if you’re good with that, so you’ll have a weekend to get used to things and gauge how everything is going. I don’t expect you’ll be back to work until next month, though. You’re going to want to take things easy.”
“Does going to hockey games count as taking it easy?”
It didn’t matter if it wasn’t approved. Casey wasn’t going to miss a game.
“Telling you no won’t do a lot of good, so try to pace yourself. You’re going to feel some pain and numbness that I’m sure you’ve read about. I know you’re tough as nails, but surgery hurts.”
Katherine’s warning reiterated how close the two of them had become over the years, as did the look in her eyes that said she knew she was wasting her breath.
“If we were closer to the end of the season, I’d wait for it to be over. With how the guys are playing, that’s at least three months. Since I first felt the lump, I swear it’s gotten bigger, so I think waiting would be a mistake.”
Casey didn’t remember what her mother went through, but her father had said they found it after it had already spread to her lungs. She’d gone through chemo, and that had zapped the life out of her. Casey didn’t want to put her father through that a second time, which was why she was kicking herself for not electing to take care of the problem sooner.
“I’m sure the size difference you’re feeling is just in your head. The only reason I’m suggesting we move forward quickly is because I know you’re ready for it. We’ve talked about this enough in our many meetings over the years that we’re sitting here asking questions we already know the answers to, because it seems we should. Since you don’t want to do reconstruction, do you want to talk about a prosthesis?”
Casey laughed. It wasn’t like she wanted to spend as much time in the doctor’s office as she did. She was scared to cut anything off prematurely, but she wanted to make sure things were caught early.
“So you ask another question that you already know the answer to.”
“You never know. You could’ve changed your mind. Maybe in the last few days you decided you only wanted to remove the breast with the lump.”
It would’ve been one of the few times Casey had ever changed her mind. They’d talked about reconstruction and a prosthesis, and Casey had always let her opinions be known. If the recovery and time spent in the hospital wasn’t longer, she would’ve preferred to only be knocked out once. She could maybe live with taking a week and a half off, but that was it.
As far as removing only one breast, that had never crossed her mind. If one got cancer, it was only a matter of time before the other one did.
“I haven’t. When I get time, I’ll have the reconstruction done. Until then, I’ll deal with being flat-chested. Is there anything else we need to go over today? We could’ve had this conversation over the phone. They didn’t even tell me to take my clothes off, so you could feel my boobs this time.”
“I think I’ve felt your boobs enough over the years. This was just a chance to talk about any questions you had. Normally I’d have you schedule an appointment with your surgeon, but you’ve met with Steve almost as much as you’ve met with me over the years, and he would’ve been here today if he didn’t have an appointment. He told me you’ve already heard everything you need to know.”
“We’ve pretty much acted the surgery out before, so yeah, I doubt he had anything else to add. I’m surprised he has an opening in his calendar as soon as next week. I usually have to schedule things a month in advance.”
The timing could’ve been because Casey wasn’t a priority, since she wasn’t actively seeking surgery, but she liked to think her surgeon’s office got her in as soon as possible.
“He’s actually on vacation, but since you’re one of his favorite patients, he’s coming in for the three-hour surgery.”
Casey narrowed her eyes, not believing the part about the vacation or favorite patient. Most annoying would be more accurate.
“Okay, I can see you aren’t buying that. I pulled some strings and got you in when a time opened up because someone wasn’t as prepared as you are, and changed their mind about surgery.”
“I guess that deserves a thank you. I prefer not having to sit around and worry for the next month. Speaking of worrying, I need to get across town to make sure everything goes off without a hitch tonight. I saw that you accepted your invitation, so I expect you to bring your checkbook.”
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“I’ll let you get on your way, but first I want to tell you why I really had you come in. I know you’ve been keeping things from your dad, and I think that’s a mistake. If you have someone who can help you during recovery, you should use that support system.”
Casey wasn’t sure what hearing she had cancer would do to her father. She’d thought about it many times over the years, and the unknown made her want to keep everything to herself. How Katherine had figured out she hadn’t told him was a little sketchy, but Casey assumed the two had met over the years and her doctor knew that if Holcomb knew, he’d be there with his daughter.
“We’ll see how things go leading up to the grand event. What time should I show up?”
“Six o’clock for your early morning prep. The surgery won’t be until eight.”
“Great. I’ll get my schedule figured out on Monday. The team only has two road games in the next week, and they’re across town, so I should be able to keep my wits.”
“Good luck with that. I’ll let you get to your party. Enjoy yourself, but please think about working on a support system. You won’t believe how difficult simple tasks can be in the days after you get home.”
Casey hopped off the exam table and straightened her shirt. She’d always had her dad by her side, but in this case, hiring a nurse to help out was where her thoughts were leaning. Having her dad deal with drainage and all the messy parts of post-surgery wasn’t something she wanted to put on his shoulders.
“I’ll figure something out. Thanks for the quick meeting today and for understanding I’d like to move things along.”
“You’ve wanted to do the surgery for so long, you just haven’t been able to pull the trigger. As much as I enjoy your company, it will be nice to have the cloud hanging over us finally out of the way. Don’t get me wrong, I still recommend you get check-ups, but you probably don’t need to make those twice a year appointments anymore.”
There would be some check-ups after the surgery, Casey knew that. She’d been the one who insisted on being seen every six months. In her mind, the earlier it was detected, the better. As it was, she thought she was lucky to have found the lump when she did.
“You know you’ll miss me trying to tell you how to constantly do your job. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Yes, you will. I hope you find someone to dance with. If you’re going to throw a ball, you should actually dance at it.”
Casey didn’t think there’d be any dancing in her future, but Katherine pointed out the same fact every year. Casey didn’t bother telling her she had a date. That would be a fun little surprise her doctor wouldn’t see coming.
The front desk had all Casey’s billing information, so she waved on her way out to her car. Her plan of action was in place, but she surprisingly didn’t feel any different. She thought once she had the diagnosis and the surgery was scheduled, there’d be a load off her shoulders. The previous worry about whether she’d get cancer was gone, but the thought of not making it through surgery started to niggle in her mind.
She’d been close enough to going through with preventive surgery a couple years prior, that she knew the surgeon, most of his nurses and the anesthesiologist well. She trusted them all to do their job. It just seemed she had to have something to worry about, and that had taken priority.
Having a doctor’s appointment before the big event probably wasn’t the smartest idea she’d had. It was hard enough for her to slap a smile on her face some days.
She unlocked her driver’s side door and climbed into the car. It was only four, so she had three hours before people were supposed to start showing up. Everything should’ve been set at the banquet hall, but she wanted to verify things were perfect.
She started the car and inhaled a little of the new car smell that had never diminished from her two-year-old car. She’d been in other cars that had lost the smell after a few months, but hers had kept the scent of leather and formaldehyde, or whatever made the carpet smell the way it did.
The dress she planned on wearing to the ball hung in the backseat, with a makeup bag sitting on the floor behind her. There were quite a few guests that she knew were having their hair and makeup done by professionals, but Casey didn’t have time for that.
She sped across town, as fast as traffic and the speed limit signs would allow. It took her twenty minutes, which was probably a record. Parking close to the front door, she saw a familiar black sedan with its owner leaning up against it.
Dylan wasn’t in his tux for the evening yet, but seeing him in the same outfit he’d been wearing earlier gave Casey a chance to peruse her date for the evening. It was really too bad she had a list a mile long for reasons the two of them couldn’t hook up. An actual relationship was totally off the table, but a one-night stand would’ve been considered, if she didn’t know someone who had the hots for him and if the timing of them finally meeting didn’t coincide with the last days she’d have breasts for a while.
She hadn’t expected him to be waiting for her, even though he’d seemed a bit eager. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do with him for about two hours.
Casey opened the door and hurried to get the things she needed from the backseat. Seeing her grabbing her clothes, Dylan moved to get his from his car. She’d hoped he would eventually have to leave to get ready.
Car doors slammed and he walked over to her. He stopped about five feet away and the smile he’d been wearing disappeared.
“Are you okay?”
Casey wasn’t prepared for the concern. If Dylan was able to pick something up, her dad was sure to be able to sense something was off, so she needed to get out of her funk fast.
“I’m just considering what messes await for me inside.”
Dylan didn’t know her well enough to tell she was lying, but the disbelief she saw in his eyes told her he questioned the answer. There was something off about him, and it unsettled her.
“Okay, if there’s anything else bothering you, let me know. I’m good at taking care of problems.”
“I’m sure you are. What are you doing here this early?”
Dylan offered to carry her items, but she shook her head and walked towards the door.
“Helping, although I don’t know exactly what that entails.”
“Probably just listening to me yell when I walk inside and find something wrong. There shouldn’t be a lot to do, I just have to make sure everything is perfect.”
“You mean I’m not the only person you yell at? I thought I was special.”
Dylan held open the heavy white door into the building. Casey noted the pink carpet wasn’t anywhere in sight leading up to the entrance. Getting that ready took at least an hour, so she had some chewing out to do.
“I’m sure you’re very special, but that has nothing to do with me yelling at you. When everyone else is drooling over you, someone needs to knock you down a peg.”
“It’d be nice if more people did, but at the same time, you’ve stood out since you’re the only one I hear. I’ve been trying to find you in the stands for months now.”
“I wasn’t exactly hiding. I sit in the same spot every game. All you needed to do was get someone to find me during the game. Shoot, I sit next to one of your teammate’s sister. I’m sure there’s other family members you could’ve had spying for you.”
They’d made it into the dining area, where dozens of tables were set up in the huge space. There were people flitting around, putting place settings in their spots and finishing pulling pink covers over the chairs. At first glance, things looked to be in good shape.
Since all the food was being made offsite, the caterers weren’t showing up for another hour. Casey had used them before, so she wasn’t too antsy about tasting all the food and verifying it was cooked.
The person in charge of the decorating was new, after the person she’d used previously had moved across the country. The ulcers growing inside her were because she didn’t trust the new woman to pull it o
ff. She hadn’t done anything that indicated she was incompetent, but Casey was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Who exactly do you sit by?” Dylan’s voice came from behind her as she weaved her way through the tables.
“Someone who more than likely will kill me when she finds out we’re at this shindig together. We should probably come up with a signal so you know when to stand as far away from me as possible. If I would’ve known my dad would saddle me with you as a date, I wouldn’t have made sure she knew the event was going on.”
“You sit by Steph?” There was a little doubt in his voice, but he’d been quick to come up with a name.
“Oh good, you know how far her devotion goes. I have no doubt she’d kill for you.”
Dealing with the Steph issue wasn’t a priority, so if Dylan was aware of the problem, he could deal with the storm that would eventually show up.
“I’m aware she’s been trying to get me to take her on a date, but I’ve never indicated I was even remotely interested. She isn’t my type, so I just try to stay away from her.”
The woman Casey was looking for was in her sights, so Dylan momentarily slipped away from her thoughts as she received a rundown of where everything stood. Somehow things were behind schedule, which meant Casey had shown up at the perfect time.
Chapter Seven
Watching Casey in her element was intoxicating. They’d been discussing Steph, and the fact that she actually knew Nelson’s sister, and then she became a machine focused on a singular task – making everything flawless.
That was a lot of pressure to put on a single person, so Dylan worked to help whenever he could. He’d found a place to store their clothes and the bag she carried while they ran around and fixed things. It was difficult not to peek at the dress that hid within the giant white bag Casey had finally relinquished. Dylan really wanted to see the dress, but he’d prefer seeing Casey in it.
The decorators were behind, so Casey and Dylan had to roll out the pink carpet themselves, making sure the edges were taped down to keep the tripping to a minimum. Along with the carpet, there was a wall they had to set up, so people could stop and get their pictures taken.