Once cancer is suspected, there’s a rush of tests to confirm it is cancer and learn the scope of the problem. That was certainly the situation for my husband Lynn.

His primary care doctor called us in and gave us the news that his biopsy showed cancer of the esophagus. He referred us to an oncologist in Oklahoma City. That was followed by three trips to the city in one week. From Tuesday to Friday he met with his oncologist, had a CT scan, had a chemo port put in, had an endoscopic scan, had a PEG tube (stomach feeding tube) installed, had a PET scan and met with a nutritionist. The following...