One of the major differences between Barbara’s situation and mine is the issue of time. Barbara was diagnosed around June 1st yet she did not begin her treatments until September 4, 2012 (an interval of over 12 weeks). I was diagnosed on January 9th and began my first treatment on January 24th, a mere two weeks later.

Why did it take so long for Barbara to begin treatment? It seems that the amount of time between diagnosis and treatment may have played a key role in her early demise.

Could one of the problems have been the number of doctors involved in the decision-making? I feel very strongly that it was a major factor. I have one (1) physician making all the decisions with me regarding my treatment. Barbara consulted with at least eight (8) different doctors. Several of them were used for their particular specialty but it seems incredible to me that that many doctors had a say in her treatment. In my mind there should have been a single person in charge, making all the decisions. Perhaps one primary doctor would have eliminated some of the procedures that Barbara was subjected to, that turned out to be for naught. Perhaps she could have started her treatment much earlier and perhaps extended her life a bit. Unfortunately, we will never know.