The Diagnosis

A few weeks after we were home from our motorcycle trip Wes was back at work and things were pretty much continuing on as normal. We didn't realize that within 2 weeks our world would completely change.

I was on the phone with Wes one morning as I usually am when I asked him a question which he did not answer the way that I thought he should. So, being the typical wife I snapped at him "That's not what I asked you!" and then came the silence...15 seconds...30 seconds...1 minute and I'm yelling Wes' name in the phone and I only hear slight grunts at the other end. I thought that perhaps he was having a heart attack and finally after the minute of near silence had passed I could hear him whisper "Hang on..." and I waited a few seconds more and he began to talk to me again. He told me later on that his thoughts had been there, but he was unable to speak.

My fears after this episode pushed me to contact our family doctor that morning and we were given appointment to see him that afternoon. He was concerned initially that Wes had perhaps suffered a minor stroke, but could not find evidence to support that idea. So, after giving Wes a thorough check-up our doctor made arrangements to have an MRI just to be on the safe side.

September 3, 2008 we had our first MRI. We even joked about it that this test was a waste of taxpayers money. The MRI went fine and Wes went home to change a tire on the semi and I went to pick up a few groceries for supper. When I got home Wes had already received a phone call that we needed to go back for another MRI the next day. They said that they needed to inject dye into Wes prior to the test for clarity. I honestly thought they had just screwed up...tells you how much I know!

September 4, 2008 We go back for our second MRI and they inject Wes with dye and again we walk out thinking this is just a waste of time and money.

I received a phone call the following morning from the doctor's office that he wanted to see us in his office at 3:00 that afternoon. That was when I knew something was wrong. Wes had been scheduled to have blood tests that following Monday and having worked at the clinic years ago I knew that they don't call you in until all the tests are done.

My head was pounding by the time 3:00 rolled around and anyone sitting with us in the waiting room will have thought that I was the patient and Wes was the healthy one.

We were called into the doctors office and I watched as our doctor, this man who had walked with our family through births and sickness for the past 23 years, struggled to tell us what he had seen on the MRI. He had been dreading this conversation he said since the previous afternoon. I couldn't blame him, how do you tell someone that the MRI shows that you have a brain tumour?

After telling us what the prognosis most likely was...which wasn't good at all, he stood together with Wes and myself took our hands and prayed with us. This for me was an unforgettable moment...how many doctors would take the time to pray for a miracle? Though my heart was torn apart and I was a wreck with tears streaming, Wes was completely at peace. and so our journey had officially begun.