Bayside Café Chap 11
Too Young!
A/N: This chapter was difficult to write. If cancer and main character death are triggers for you, don't read. I will alert you at the start of chapters when we have reached safe ground. Next chapter will not be safe.
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STONY BROOK APARTMENT
Michael had one of his infrequent evenings off. Abby was at Bayside working swing, bussing and washing dishes. She would have cleanup duties also, and wouldn't be home before 11:30.
Michael had made some lasagna for himself and Ellen. He promised Abs some leftovers. After dinner and cleanup, they were snuggling on the love seat.
These evenings were all too rare. Talking led to kissing; kissing to a full-on make out session. Their love had never faded, it had intensified over time for these long-time sweethearts. Soon they headed to the bedroom – they didn't have all night.
Clothes were shed and Michael gently laid Ellen on their bed; he lay beside his beloved. They began caressing each other – all the while reveling in the sensation of skin on skin.
As he was softly sliding his hand up the outside of her left breast she tensed; then pulled back, alarmed.
"Baby, did I hurt you? I'm so sorry-
"No, my love. I just felt a touch of pain there – on the outside of my left breast."
"Shall we stop?" He was worried, naturally.
"No, please. It's been too long." She sighed.
"Are you sure?" He is holding her tight.
"Yes, please Michael. It seems like forever since we've connected."
"Ok, I'll be careful."
He was – it was the most gentle, the most careful love making session they have ever shred with each other. Maybe the best! As they descended to earth Michael kissed his lover deeply one more time.
"I love you Ellen, so much!"
"I love you too! More and more – and not just for your lasagna." A soft laugh.
"Sweetheart, have you been checking your breasts regularly; in the shower or otherwise?" He knew what women are recommended to do that.
"Yes . . . but maybe not as frequently as I should. I'm a little too young to start yearly mammograms. But maybe I should get one?"
"I'd feel better if you did. Could Dr. Brust help you to get one soon?"
"I'll talk with him tomorrow."
"Thanks babe."
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TOMORROW
Ellen pulls Dr. Brust into his office as soon as he arrives. She motions for him to sit – they do.
"Michael and I noticed a potential problem last evening; in my left breast-
Before she could go any further, he lifted his phone receiver. He got her a mammogram appointment for 1:00 PM that very same day.
During the x-ray she had terrible pain in the upper outer quadrant of her left breast as they squeezed to get a good image. This was consistent with what had happened when Michael was caressing her last evening.
The radiologist said that he would have her results later that afternoon. After the last patient had been seen and left, Dr. Brust asked her to step into his office. When she entered, she noticed the radiologist was there also. He and her doc had long faces – her stomach dropped.
Dr. Dodds started, "Ellen, I'm sorry to tell you this. Your mammogram showed a small mass in the upper outer quadrant of your left breast."
"Where I felt pain last evening." She whispered.
Both men nodded.
"Now what?" She naturally asked.
Dr. Brust had hardly opened his mouth when there was a knock at the door. A tall, slim lady stuck her head in. "Albert, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, Gwendolyn, please come in. She sat and Dr. Brust introduced breast surgeon Gwen Wells to the group. After the radiologist explained his findings, Gwen asked if she could use an exam room to examine Ellen. Both Ellen and Dr. Brust agreed.
Ellen and the surgeon moved to exam #3. Gwen asked Ellen to strip to the waist and get on the exam table. Ellen did; Gwen helped her recline into a comfortable position and began a careful exam of both breasts and both axillae. The LUOQ-Left breast was tender as before. After Gwen was done, the 2 ladies returned to doc's office. Drs Brust and Dodds were still there. Dr. Wells began: "I feel a coarsening, or thickening of the breast tissue in the area of tenderness. I also detect 2 slightly enlarged lymph nodes. Unfortunately, I do not feel what I would consider a discrete mass." She pauses.
"What does all this mean, doc?" Ellen murmurs.
"It is very suspicious for breast cancer, Ellen. In order to ascertain the type of cancer – if in fact it is cancer – we need to do a biopsy ASAP."
"How soon?" Ellen whispers.
Gwen looks at her date book; "I had a patient postpone her surgery just this morning. I have an open slot tomorrow, 03:00 PM." She looks to Ellen.
"Wow! May I talk this over with my family, please"
"Certainly. May I pencil you in, and you confirm by 07:00 tomorrow morning?"
"Yes, that will work. May I have your number?"
"Yes, here is my card. If you have questions, you may call my personal number at any time. Call the office number to confirm or cancel. Outside of office hours, leave a message."
"I will – and thank you so much."
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FAMILY TALK
Ellen declines Albert's offer of a cab ride home. He is mildly distressed but acquiesces. He knows how stubbornly independent she can be.
On the drive home she has two big items on her mind. 1) Telling Abby about the possible cancer? And 2) Telling Abby about her twin brother?
#1 is a no brainer mom thinks. YES. ASAP!
#2 is a horse of another color. She and Michael have talked about this a few times. They know that Abby will probably blame herself for the tragic demise of her brother; even though it was no one's fault. But, finding out about him from any source other than mom &/or dad – well, that will magnify the issue for her. What to do? She decided to ask Michael if she can tell Abs. She doesn't really want to, but she doesn't want Abby to find out in a setting w/o their support. She has arrived home.
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Once home, mom calls Abs academic advisor at NYU. She leaves a message for Abby to come home ASAP. Family conference needed. That's cryptic she knows . . . but doesn't know what else to say.
She duplicates the message on the message line at Bayside. Here she adds – BAD NEWS ABOUT BREAST.
She knows that her husband is expecting news. She might as well be up front with him.
As soon as they walk in and see her face – Abs and Michael know that the news is bad. All that remains is how bad, and what can be done.
"I can have a biopsy at 3 PM tomorrow. With Dr. Gwendolyn Wells. I wanted to talk it over with you."
"You met her, mom?"
"Yes, she examined me today. At Dr. Brust's office."
"You comfortable with her, babe?"
"Very, sweetheart. Albert pulled her in, on short notice."
"Mom, why wait?" Abby grasps mom's hand and squeezes.
"I just wanted both of you in the loop."
"I must call my academic advisor. I'll need tomorrow off-
"Abby, you don't need-
"YES I DO! YOU ARE NOT TAKING ONE STEP WITHOUT ME. NOT ONE!"
"Ok." Mother opens her arms wide; hubby and daughter sink into a strong, warm embrace.
Abby calls NYU and receives the rest of the week off from classes.
Michael calls his assistant cook. Jane doesn't feel comfortable doing dinner by herself. She is ok with breakfast and lunch. Together they decide to only do lunch hours until further notice. They work up a notice for the front door.
NOTICE: BAYSIDE CAFÉ
LUNCH SERVICE ONLY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
11:00 AM TO 3:00 PM
DIXON FAMILY EMERGENCY
The owners were notified; concurred, and would be praying for the family.
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THE NEXT DAY, 1:00 PM
Ellen checks into Stony Brook Medical Center. She and her family were ushered to the surgical floor. In her room, #707, she had a pre-op nurse ask her a million questions; check her vital signs; dress her properly then leave the family for a few moments. Abby offered a heartfelt pray for her mother, then hugs and kisses and the nurse returned.
She was wheeled off to the surgical suite.
SURGERY
Surgeon: Gwen Wells
Assistant: Jack Osborn
Anesthesia: Gary Owen
They have exposed the area of tenderness & thickening shown on mammography.
"Jack, I don't see or feel anything resembling a capsule. Do you?"
Jack carefully feels around the area. "No, I don't either. This is bad, Gwen."
"Yeah. She gave consent only for a biopsy – at most a lumpectomy."
"But, Gwen! Without a capsule of some kind, there is no 'lump'!"
"I know, Jack. Let's go to the axillary nodes – and come back here."
"Ok."
30" later they have removed 3 axillary lymph nodes and are back at the breast itself.
"Advice, Jack?" Gwen presses her colleague.
"We can't do a mastectomy w/o a consent, Gwen."
"Agreed. So, we do as wide a lumpectomy as we can. Get a Dx post-op, and devise a treatment plan with Ellen and the family."
"Yup. What are you betting on, oh wise one?" He smirks under his mask.
"Aggressive, inflammatory carcinoma of the left breast." Gwen says, sadly.
"With lymph node metastasis – maybe further." Jack adds, hoping the further is wrong. He sincerely doubts that he is wrong.
He is not wrong.
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ROOM 707
Albert & Gwen Walk in to see Ellen. She has fully recovered from the anesthesia; Michael and Abby are with her. After Ellen introduces her family, she stops to listen to what her surgeon has to say.
Gwen starts, "The surgery didn't turn out as we hoped."
Faces fall; Ellen and Abby start to cry. Albert and Michael think 'where is your bedside manner, woman?'
"I mean, we were hoping to do a lumpectomy. But there was no lump, no capsule. So we removed the central part of the thickened area plus 3 enlarged lymph nodes. The pathologist will examine the tissue and in 2-3 days tell us what is going on. Any diagnosis I give you before the path report, will be a guess."
"Gwen, please give us your best educated guess," Albert pleads.
Gwen looks down, then back up at her colleague. She turns to Ellen, "Ellen, I'm pretty sure you have breast cancer."
Michael and Abby embrace the love of their lives tightly. They are all weeping now.
"What we do not yet know, is the specific type. That will guide our treatment recommendations. We need to wait for the path report to tell us that."
"How long, doc?" Michael demands.
"2, maybe 3 days."
"Can we ask for a rush-
"I would rather not rush it. I understand the desire to know ASAP. But I want the pathologist to take the time he needs. And get it right."
"I agree," Ellen whispers. "We will wait together, hon."
Albert Brust puts in a word "Elizabeth and I will be here to support you and the family. All the way, my dear."
"Thank you, doc," Ellen reaches for and squeezes his hand.
THE TOUGHEST 3 DAYS OF THEIR LIFE STARTS NOW
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TBC