Iowa City - Second Opinion, Same Opinion

Tammi is confident in her oncologist, but it'd be impossible to get a diagnosis of this weight without having a second opinion.

Sounds simple enough, but in a small midwestern town hours from a major city, this isn't so easy. Her oncologist is part of a medical group that most other oncologists in our area are part of, so their opinions, their advice and resources would be the same.

Somehow, probably due to the persistence of her family doctor who kept calling (thanks Dr. Carrier!), she got an appointment in Iowa City, with a great oncologist who was willing to review her case. 

We drove to Iowa City hopeful and hesitant to hear what another doctor with fresh eyes might say. 

And it's the same.

He would recommend the same chemo drugs she's on, and is encouraged by her progress with them. 

He recommended we stay the course, to keep going until her tumor markers stop dropping. Once they stop, another path will have to be discerned. But, there is no way to know when that will be or what the next course will require.

We're relieved by a second opinion being the same opinion. But Tammi, being the hopeful person she is, was still kind of hoping for a miracle. Alas, there is no shortcut on this path. So we'll just try to continue to be glad that there is in fact a path.