Urgency

So today we stowed the kids away with some friends and then went to work on Iva's visa issue. It's a daunting task, and anyone who has ever tried to navigate the murky waters of that bureaucratic mess, you know how stressful it can be. They never tell you exactly what they want. I mean they tell you bring your passport, the completed application forms, etc. but then there are all these other unwritten things one needs to bring to prove this, that, and the other thing, but there is no prescribed set of things. Rather it is a combination of talisman that one takes with them to give the State Dept official the right kind of feeling about you. So we are gathering all these things and hoping it comes together in a harmonious blend, creating the right aesthetic.

And so the urgency is setting in. There are these spots on Iva's lungs, and her doctors don't seem too terribly concerned about them. They are the proverbial pink elephant that no one is talking about. The doctors go about their usual lackadaisical approach, waiting and watching. They have known about these spots now for 10 days. And yet they do nothing. She doesn't even meet with her doctor until this Wednesday. On that day he will allegedly be telling her what his brilliant plan is now.

And it is exactly this lackadaisical approach that is making us crazy. And why we are convinced that Iva's very life hinges on her coming to Houston to get treatment. There is no waiting around with a cancer that continues to grow during chemo. There are no extended holidays, as her doctor suggested to her it would be ok for her to take. WTF?

She is walking around the apartment now with crutches. Eating. Sitting. Staying awake all day. She is now strong enough to go into the Consulate and get a visa. So that is exactly what we are asking her to do this week. And if all stars align in our favor, she will be here by the end of this coming week.

Her evaluation at MD Anderson will cost $25,000--all of which is out of pocket. Then they will tell us what the treatment plan and cost will be. (We have been told it will start around $250,000. Again all out of pocket.)

You know that saying, "It is only money"? Well, that's crap. It isn't just money. It is life saving treatment. It is time we are buying, and hopefully a ton of it!