May 25th - You have rectal cancer.

9:00am - My doctor explained to me that I had a tumor in my rectum and that it was cancer. He told me that he wanted to make the problem go away and "get it fixed". He told me that I was going to be seen by the best. He acknowledged that I had two young sons and that I needed to raise them. He assured me that we were going to make this go away. He arranged for a CT/PET scan for the following week, followed by a rectal ultrasound, a followup appointment with him on Friday 1st of June and then, an Oncologist, Friday afternoon. The rest of the day was spent faxing insurance cards, getting instructions, making sure I could do one screen right after the next etc. At 4:30 on the 25th, I looked at my shcedule for the next week. Four appointments in three days. Two fasts and one prep (just like the colonoscopy) in three days. But then, my fate would be known. The waiting was the hardest part - nope wait, saying the work "cancer" was the hardest part.