Three Act Plot

When I wrote the last two blog posts my husband, Andy, kept telling me to write the third act to give hope to my readers. He is a writer and a theater buff, so he frequently talks about Three Act Structure. Really, he actually does… He says that everything always goes terribly wrong in the second act and that things resolve in the third act. He wants me to hurry up and write part three since the last two posts felt rather tragic and hopeless. I know we’ll get to the third act but, unfortunately, we have a few more obstacles to deal with in act two. 

So let’s recap where we left off. I was on a chemo regiment that worked wonders-briefly. I had a couple of weeks where I felt great, but then the cancer found a way to progress. The result was fluid build-up in my abdomen. So we spent a couple of weeks controlling the symptoms while we worked to chose the best next line of treatment (my fourth). This involved placing the PleurX catheter back in my abdomen so I can get relief at home. Thank goodness, because when they placed the catheter, they removed a whooping 5.1 LITERS from my abdomen. Now that I can control the fluid, it was time to start a new chemo combo, in hopes that the chemo knocks back the cancer again. 

I met with my oncologist, who had a list of three potential treatments. She wanted to research further and consult a colleague before choosing. On Thursday, November 14^th, she had decided on Abraxane/Carboplatin, and I was scheduled to start on Tuesday, November 19^th. On November 18^th, I received phone calls from the hospital’s pre-auth department, our insurance liaison, and my cancer clinic. Since this chemo combo is not part of the standard of care, my insurance company would not approve the drug combination until their medical review board had a chance to review it. On November 20^th, the review board came back with their decision. They would not approve the Abraxane/Carboplin combo but recommended a Carboplatin/Gemitadine drug combo. My oncologist now has the option to request a peer-to-peer review with the medical board to fight for her preferred combo or she can accept their choice. She has decided to fight for Abraxane/Carboplatin. 

We are awaiting the decision now. Waiting, in cancer treatment, is the worst part. Waiting for test results, waiting for decisions, waiting for treatment, waiting for relief. Time is precious to a cancer patient. Time off treatment is terrifying. Fear sets in. Is the cancer running rampant while we delay? That’s what it feels like to me. I’m  uncomfortable now and in pain. Will the new treatment turn that around? I have complete trust in my oncologist, and I’m confident that we’ll get on track with a treatment plan again. It’s just that the waiting stinks!! I’d like to get out of act 2 and get on to a resolution! I know my friends and family can’t wait to read Act Three.