Chapter 9: Present Day, Nashville, TN

The following day the Adam’s were once again in my office. This time I had the papers in my hand from the pathology lab confirming my diagnosis of a non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

“George, Alice and especially Phil — the path lab confirmed my diagnosis this morning of a very treatable form of what we call a ‘non-Hodgkins lymphoma,’ or NHL for short. In layman’s terms it is a cancer of the lymphatic system...”

I explained in some detail just what NHL was, how it could effect the blood as well as a number of other organs in the immune system. We also discussed what the most likely treatment would be.

“To be honest, as much as I think we are as good as anywhere in the world to provide you with treatment, there are Oncologists and hospitals in the Chicago area that would also be excellent choices for Phil. I only mention this because I know that it can make an unpleasant treatment worse — and let’s be clear, chemo and radiation therapies are always unpleasant — if you compound it with having to travel back and forth.”