This whole cancer thing has been quite a roller coaster. And treatment hasn't even begun yet! I've decided that cancer is stupid. Sometimes I just want to shout it out loud, "Stupid cancer!!!" That's my way of swearing.
A lot has happened but I'm usually too tired at night to update the blog. Matt asked for and received approval for a PET scan. He got the results on a CD. He spent a few hours analyzing the results and the two of us together spent over an hour looking at all of the glowing things inside his body. The more you glow, the more cancer there is. Boy, looking at it ourselves was a mistake. I worried too much waiting for the results of that scan, far too much. I was sure he had it in his spine and various other body parts. But the results came back and THANKFULLY there was no spread.
Then we went to the radiation oncology department at St. Joseph to consult with Dr. Goins who will be in charge of Matt's radiation. We thought he would start treatment that day. Ha! Not for another two weeks. She appears to be a competent doctor. One thing she said which I didn't like to hear after examining Matt was, "Oh, that is a very bad location." I think she was referring to the possible side effects he might endure, namely skin burn and diarrhea. I am so worried about him suffering through this. Some people don't have any trouble with radiation and some people suffer fatigue and burn and other side effects.
His radiation treatment starts tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 18 and goes through Dec 23. It is low dose IMRT radiation for 25 treatments. There are so many details I should be including but I am too tired to write them all down, sorry.
Four to eight weeks after radiation is finished, his next (and last?!?!) surgery will be scheduled. That means it will probably be February.
Another point I really didn't like and that has been weighing on my mind was in Dr. Myron's report which we accessed at home. He didn't say this to us directly but reported that this cancer has only a 35% long-term survival rate. Didn't I say cancer is stupid?!!!
2 comments:
We have you all always in our prayers!!!!
Cancer is stupid. I have been looking each day to see if you're updating. I am sure you are exhausted. I pray the radiation goes better than expected and youare all the recipients of peace.
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