Go Bruins.

...do I get an alumni discount?

By TEAM ANISSA

August 18^th, 2014

Week 5

August 18, 2014

Anissa is a graduate of UCLA. A few months ago we brought the kids to the campus to show them around. They were relatively unimpressed, as any 3rd and 5th grader would be. I could see Isabella being moderately interested in sorority life while Jonathan’s only interest was visiting the book store to see what UCLA branded souvenir he could go home with. He opted for a sweatshirt and a mini football. The latter ultimately became the dog’s chew toy.

Here we are a few months later at the UCLA medical center. Specifically in the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center. After a great deal of research we made an appointment with the Director of the Breast Cancer Program. Our appointment was at 7:30am. Yes! We got to face morning traffic in LA when school is back in session!

We arrived on time and made our way through the maze which consisted of the parking lot, parking structure stairwells, elevator bays and ultimately into the basement where the breast center is located. Once in the exam room the PA took all of Anissa’s medical history. These conversations has become a bit scripted at this point.

We waited a little while for the doctor to review all the reports we supplied her with. Then in came Dr. Helena Chang. She welcomed Anissa and immediately her at ease. Ever since the “there’s a lot going on it there” conversation we were coming to terms with the idea that Anissa would be having a mastectomy. This is not something you can easily wrap your head round. All these decisions from procedures to your team of doctors were getting tougher and tougher with each visit, discussion with doctors and final test results. We still needed that right side biopsy so it wasn’t clear if the mastectomy would be bi-lateral.

Dr. Chang took the time to discuss diagnosis, procedures, treatments, and pretty much anything you wanted to throw out there for discussion. She somewhat acknowledged that I was in the room. You would normally be offended if someone did acknowledge you, but not when it comes to doctors and their patients – that’s the relationship that counts and quite honestly, I didn’t even want them to acknowledge me. I was there purely for record keeping purposes; to catch all the information flying around the room during those moments when Anissa had her fill and couldn’t take anymore in.

This is one of many appointments I’ve accompanied Anissa to. I began to see a pattern. Every doctor we saw would introduce themselves to Anissa and not me. I looked for that with each visit. It showed who they were there for. Any doctor that introduced themselves to me first, I became immediately skeptical of. There was one visit in particular which stood out, but more on that later.

We ended up spending the entire day at UCLA. They managed to get us an appointment with Dr. Festekjian in the reconstructive surgery department on the 3rd floor to discuss types of reconstruction. While Anissa sat wrapped in a spa-like robe waiting for the doctor we took in the artwork displayed around the room. An oversized black and white print taken from the bottom of a set of escalators – I commented that it wasn’t cropped right and the camera was just a bit off center and didn’t provide the correct symmetry. You’d think an office that deals primarily in breast reconstruction would place an image with emphasis on symmetry on it’s walls!

It was a large exam room with carpeting and leather sofas. Not what you image an medical exam room to be. There was something comforting and welcoming. Equally comforting and welcoming was Dr. “F” and his surgical coordinator Jeani. I refer to Jeani as the “surgical concierge”. Anything you need – she can get. When I shared this with her she told me she actually was a concierge for a Four Seasons Hotel.

Jeani had an aunt with Breast Cancer. Her aunt was the reason she got into this field; to continue to help those with breast cancer. They both listened intently as Anissa expressed her concerns about surgery. Dr. F explained the different procedures she’d be a candidate for with a very clear vision. We left there with our heads spinning and a lot to think about.