Cracks in the Sidewalk(13)

The doctor rubbed her hand across her eye a second time, then continued. “A malfunction like this inhibits the release of certain hormones. They’re the hormones that affect your thyroid and regulate your ability, or, in this case, inability, to lose weight. As a result your central nervous system, or what we’d consider your control panel, is being bombarded with a flood of mixed messages.”

As they listened, Claire tightened her grip on Elizabeth’s shoulder.

“Because of this particular growth’s deep location,” Doctor Sorenson continued, “it’s inoperable. If it were located here on the pituitary gland”—she slid her fingertip a fraction of an inch to the right—“we could remove it surgically and follow up with radiation.”

“If it’s inoperable,” Elizabeth asked anxiously, “then how do you treat it?”

Doctor Sorenson hesitated for a moment, again rubbed her hand across her eye, then spoke in a softer voice. “Unfortunately, there isn’t any real treatment.”

“Isn’t any?” Elizabeth replied incredulously. “Isn’t any?”

“Not given the position of the tumor.” Suddenly the “growth” had progressed to a “tumor.”

“What then?” Elizabeth asked, her eyes brimming with tears. “I stay this way? I keep getting worse? What?”

Without waiting for the answer to her question, Charlie said, “This has got to be a mistake! Liz is only twenty-eight years old. She’s always been in good health. Did anyone check the X-rays? Did anyone make certain—”

“I wish it were a mistake, Mister McDermott, believe me I do. But unfortunately, the scan simply confirms what Elizabeth’s symptoms have already indicated.”

“How can something like this happen so fast? Up until a few months ago—”

“The probability is that it didn’t happen quickly. Given its size, the tumor has probably been there for some time. Unfortunately, there was no reason to look for anything until Elizabeth began experiencing symptoms from the tumor pressing on the pituitary gland.”

“Are you telling us there’s nothing we can do?” Charles asked angrily. “Nothing? Given the technology of this day and age, I find that impossible to believe!”

“Medicine has come a long way,” Doctor Sorenson replied, “but we’ve still got a long way to go. Elizabeth’s tumor is inaccessible, that’s the primary problem here. With a tremendous amount of luck, we might be able to reduce the size of it with radiation, but even that is iffy.”

“Iffy is better than nothing,” Charles said.

“That’s yet to be determined. Before we decide on radiation therapy, Elizabeth needs to get a second opinion, preferably from Sloan Kettering or NYU.”

“If a second doctor does suggest radiation,” Elizabeth asked, “what then?”

“We try it and see. It might help, it might not. I can’t promise anything. In a case like this, there is rarely an absolute cure. What we can hope is to put things in remission. Make this cancer something you can live with. If the therapy works, it will shrink the size of the tumor. Once the tumor is smaller, the pressure against the hypothalamus will be reduced.”

“And then?”

“We wait and watch. Even if we’re successful in shrinking the tumor, there’s always the chance it will regenerate itself and start growing again when we stop the treatments.

“Also, radiation therapy has its own side effects,” Doctor Sorenson warned. “Everyone responds to it differently. It’s difficult to say how it will affect you, Elizabeth. You’re young, and that’s in your favor. You may tolerate the treatments quite well. But with your health compromised as it is, I can’t promise that.”

“I don’t care,” Elizabeth said. “If radiation is the only way I can get control of this thing then I’m willing to try.” She wouldn’t call it a tumor or cancer, it was simply a thing—an ugly thing that stood between her and a return to normalcy.

Doctor Sorenson smiled. “Well, before we proceed with anything, I want you to get a second opinion. That will tell us whether or not you’re a candidate for radiation therapy.”

“And if I am?”

“Then we start radiation treatments and monitor the tumor’s response.”

“How long before we know if it’s working?”

“We could see improvement within two or three months. But we need to get some of this fluid out of you first and let your stomach heal from the cesarean. Even if we do get a favorable second opinion, you still have to regain your strength before we can start radiation treatments.”

Elizabeth leaned back into her pillow and stared at the X-ray as Doctor Sorenson explained the medications she’d be taking.

“Am I going to die?” she suddenly asked.

The question sizzled through the air like a lightning bolt.

“Well,” Doctor Sorenson said hesitantly, “the prognosis is never good when the tumor is as large and inaccessible as yours. But if, if you are a candidate for radiology, it’s conceivable that we’ll be able to shrink the tumor.”

“Can I go home now?” Elizabeth asked.

“No reason why not,” Doctor Sorenson answered. “Just realize you’ve got to take it easy, get lots of rest.”