Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Change of Plans

My Oncologist comes from a nearby town and this morning he was late. I had to see him before starting any treatments and when they found out how late he was going to be, they gave me the choice of staying and seeing him, but coming back tomorrow and Thursday for the treatments. They left it up to me and if I had of stayed it would have been probably eight o'clock before I got out of there so I opted to come back tomorrow.
My Dr. is usually cheerful and in a good mood but today he was not. And at first he made me nervous as I've learned you can be told good news at one visit and something completely off the wall the next and I never felt really good about the results of the PET scan from last time because I'd been told once before that a scan looked great, only to be told a few weeks later something completely different which is what changed me from having radiation for prevention of he cancer returning to Chemo to treat some legions that appeared to be cancer. So when he first came in, I was nervous. But as it turns out, the PET scan has been reviewed by a board of Dr.'s and the legion on my lung is GONE for sure, not doubt about it. The thing that is bothering them and seems to be some disagreement on is whether I need to take radiation after the chemo. I guess I'll just let them figure that out. My doctor, although he won't just come out and say it seems to give me the impression that he doesn't think I will need it. He is into a new study where they treated some ladies with the same chemo I am having and then half of them got radiation too and half didn't and there was no difference at all in the survival rate, and in fact the ones that didn't get radiation survived longer. But it is just a study for now. I'm not going to stress about it yet, it overloads my mind. They seem to be amazed that I responded so fast to the chemo and that the spot is gone...completely gone.
There are still some enlarged lymph nodes or legions in the pelvic area that they are very vague about and I guess we'll see what happens with that when I am done but he feels like since I am responding so well to the chemo, that they will be gone too.
There is a chance the first pet scan showed a negative positive on the lung legion, but it is gone now and they can't take a biopsy so they are stumped. I am not stumped, I am just glad it is GONE!
If I've learned one thing through this, it is that every time they think they understand Cancer, they really don't. It is wicked and all I know for sure is that I did have cancer in my uterus and it looked as if it had not gone further but all of a sudden that changed. But you know what? I'm getting through this, and I'm going to live my life, no matter how long it will be like I want to, for me. I've never done that before so there!
He says, "You have a very unique case." and that's not unusual for me, I unusually don't do things normally, so what else is new.
SO........tomorrow we'll do treatment and I can go early and get out earlier than usual and that will be nice.
All I know is I have only two more of these babies and I'm ready to be done with them. Getting information from these Doctors is like pulling teeth. And this board of Doctors are like stunned that the spot is gone. I'm not. I'm just happy.
SO, that's where we are for now. I was stil there today from 10:45 until two in the afternoon.
There is also the chance that the PET scan showed a false positive, it does happen but we'll never know, no way to take a biopsy, cause it is gone.
So my mind is just flying tonight at what he had to say. But at any rate, I'm going to bunker down and face these last two treatments and go on with my life. I am Ready!

6 comments:

Debra said...

Oh Robbin! I am doing a holy dance for you this morning!!!

Your doctor probably had a fight with his wife before leaving home, which would account for the bad mood, ha!

I've been around doctors for about 30 years and I've yet been able to figure one of them out.

I am so, so very happy for you! You go girl!

The_Gertster said...

All that sounds so good! SO Positive!! YAY! and you are almost finished with the treatments! YAY! This year is FLYING by for me,,,,but I know it has been dragging along for you! So glad you got good news, So glad it will be over soon! Love ya! Miss ya!
Steph

turquoise cro said...

GONE!!! Such a WONDERFUL word to a cancer patient!!! YayYYYYY! Robbin, love and prayers, Cinda

Robbin said...

WEll, now thank you Memaw, I can picture that and I'm liking it! Dr.'s are strange creatures for sure. I had a loooonnnggg day today but I'm glad it is behind me.

Robbin said...

Hey Steph, 2008 without doubt has been the most challenging year of my life and I thought I'd had some pretty bad ones. I'm anxious for it to get OVER!
Love you too.

Robbin said...

Cinda, that is a lovely word when said with the C word. Thanks for coming by and I am so glad to be home at last in my jammies with my little dog. Long day, tomorrow shouldn't be so long.