11.11.2008

phone call

While driving up to Altus on Friday I was waiting for a phone call. A very important phone call from Tristan's doctor... the geneticist. Because of spotty cell service I missed the call but was able to reach Mason soon after he had spoken with the doctor from home.

"What did she say" I asked Mason...

...since September we have been waiting on test results to see if we could with out a doubt say with 100% certainty whether or not Tristan was carrying a gene mutation for NF1.

"She said it was positive" he replied.... for a moment my heart lept - but for a very brief moment... "oh...positive...right...." I said quietly realizing what the word positive meant.

"They were able to locate the mutated gene... there is no doubt." Mason said.

We both knew that there was like a strong chance that this was going to happen. And even though Tristan was diagnosed by his neurologist almost a year ago... she was just doing it by sight evidence ... nothing really concrete.

I think in the back of my mind I had been holding out hope... that maybe they wouldn't find anything... that it would be that he just has a bunch of birthmarks or whatever.....but no such luck.

There is nothing more sobering, serious and final than lab results, staring back at you from the page.... proof... proof beyond a doubt.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes it takes the breath out of you huh? I keep holding out home but I look at my little Noonie (my affectionate term for Salem) and just know. I still pray his stays mild and not severe but I am sorry! I know how overwhelming and "final" it all seems. Leah

Unknown said...

Again, I think of the story about the man and his horse and his son. You know, the maybe one. The only thing that seems worse than having a diagnosis is not having one... to me.

Julia Stewart said...

I do know that story and we are well aware that knowing about a problem won't mean that a problem we don't know about now, will rock our world a few years from now... these could be the good old days....oh jeeze!

AMANDA said...

I'm thinking about you! Wish I was close enough to give you a hug.