Bone mets

More Radiation, Jen

The cancer is effective too.....I remember TaraHK talking about doing a combo of Folfiri + Folfox + Gemzar. 

I don't want to speak for her...I'll let her tell you about it...or pm TaraHK for a quicker response...she'll be a gold mine of information.

And I guess the best course of action would be to Tell Him...the truth....just like you told us...doctor needs to see you after labwork. 

It may not be the news you want to hear...doctors are trained to have you come into the office when ever bad news needs to be delivered....

But, it may be, since he's in the building anyway....

It would be nice to have him hear things after his b'day...but I would probably be more pissed off about hearing it later than having my birthday...and then having my bubble popped. 

I'd rather know early...it might affect how I feel...but I would be affected anyway.

Throw it out there, Jen...you need this cleared off your conscience right now. 

This is hollow, but the fact is that his b'day is Sunday...come rain, hell, or high water...and it can't be changed.  Try and enjoy the day for what it is.

If cancer is there...it's there....if it's not...then good.  Unfortunately, the nurses can only give vague responses...and can build your hopes up or down.  Part of their job not to dx...

I'm so sorry the specter of cancer has threatened to show up for you guys b'day party...just don't set a place setting for him:)

Big hugs and we anxiously await what you find out.  We're here for you.

-Craig

 
I could write a book about

 

I could write a book about waiting, I've been dealing on/off with cancer for 8 years, I know how it is to wait for news. The best advice I can give is don't worry about it till you know for sure. Do your best to compartmentalize this disease and visit it only when you have to. Live your live the rest of the time...

Buster...

jen2012 said:

Thank you guys for your

Thank you guys for your support and wisdom!  I guess I panicked too soon.  I emailed the nurse back this afternoon to let her know I was thinking it was bad and she emailed me to say "don't panic, I think everything is ok, she just knew you were coming in and that she'd talk to you then"   Then the doc just emailed me and said that there were no active cancer cells in the bone biopsy and we'd talk more tomorrow.  So I think that is good right??   I wish they'd be little more considerate of how nervous patients and their families are.  I imagine I'm not the only one that would panic, right?  

I'm relieved, but still think this all sucks big time.  Craig, I've looked over your other post quickly.  Have some work deadlines, but I plan to read through it more as soon as I get my work done.  I've wondered if this ever gets easier or if it's just always going to hang over our heads.  People keep asking when he's going to be done with treatment...uh maybe never.  Then they give you a strange look. 

Sounds good

I'm glad the nurse wash able to give you some encouraging news.. The waiting for results is nerve racking especially if we thin the news isn't good

jen2012 said:

Thank you guys for your

Thank you guys for your support and wisdom!  I guess I panicked too soon.  I emailed the nurse back this afternoon to let her know I was thinking it was bad and she emailed me to say "don't panic, I think everything is ok, she just knew you were coming in and that she'd talk to you then"   Then the doc just emailed me and said that there were no active cancer cells in the bone biopsy and we'd talk more tomorrow.  So I think that is good right??   I wish they'd be little more considerate of how nervous patients and their families are.  I imagine I'm not the only one that would panic, right?  

I'm relieved, but still think this all sucks big time.  Craig, I've looked over your other post quickly.  Have some work deadlines, but I plan to read through it more as soon as I get my work done.  I've wondered if this ever gets easier or if it's just always going to hang over our heads.  People keep asking when he's going to be done with treatment...uh maybe never.  Then they give you a strange look. 

Thank God!!!!!! I think
Thank God!!!!!! I think everything is fine. Relatively speaking, of course.


I get that a lot too. When is Steve going to be all done? Of course, the answer is never. If he is very lucky he may get a short break. He'll be done when either the cancer or the chemo kills him. It is the reality of the situation. It goes back to Craigs post several weeks ago. Generally speaking, people don't get that it isn't always as easy as just doing chemo and then being done with it all. I do not think it will get easier. It will get harder. Chemo starts to take a toll, options run out....

Hope I was able to cheer you up. (Feeling negative after today's onc app. No more Avastin ever and no Erbitux cause he tested positive for the K RAS mutation. Am feeling like his options are limited).

Oh, here's a good one. I'm with Steve at an app (not an onc just his family
doctor). We're giving him an update. He points out to me that I have skin cancer growing on my neck. Says he can tell just by looking that it's cancer. (I have been meaning to point it out to my own doctor, but I haven't had time to see her). He said it needs to be removed within one month. Said he himself would do it. Apparently he has specialized training in skin cancer. Got home and inspected myself. Have several other growths that look just like it. Could end up being major surgery! I just don't have time for this. I'm always braced for bad news at Steve's appointments, but I wasn't expecting this!

jen2012 said:

Thank you guys for your

Thank you guys for your support and wisdom!  I guess I panicked too soon.  I emailed the nurse back this afternoon to let her know I was thinking it was bad and she emailed me to say "don't panic, I think everything is ok, she just knew you were coming in and that she'd talk to you then"   Then the doc just emailed me and said that there were no active cancer cells in the bone biopsy and we'd talk more tomorrow.  So I think that is good right??   I wish they'd be little more considerate of how nervous patients and their families are.  I imagine I'm not the only one that would panic, right?  

I'm relieved, but still think this all sucks big time.  Craig, I've looked over your other post quickly.  Have some work deadlines, but I plan to read through it more as soon as I get my work done.  I've wondered if this ever gets easier or if it's just always going to hang over our heads.  People keep asking when he's going to be done with treatment...uh maybe never.  Then they give you a strange look. 

Oh that is great news!! Hope

Oh that is great news!! Hope all goes well tomorrow.  It is such an exhausting cycle. 

And yes...you are right...sometimes I think these doctors see so much of this they become numb to the whole thing. Just another day at the office for them and we are hanging on to every minute and every phone call, test result, or scan with so many emotions tied to them.  It is a very hard place to be.

Best of luck to you both!

 

 

jen2012 said:

Thank you guys for your

Thank you guys for your support and wisdom!  I guess I panicked too soon.  I emailed the nurse back this afternoon to let her know I was thinking it was bad and she emailed me to say "don't panic, I think everything is ok, she just knew you were coming in and that she'd talk to you then"   Then the doc just emailed me and said that there were no active cancer cells in the bone biopsy and we'd talk more tomorrow.  So I think that is good right??   I wish they'd be little more considerate of how nervous patients and their families are.  I imagine I'm not the only one that would panic, right?  

I'm relieved, but still think this all sucks big time.  Craig, I've looked over your other post quickly.  Have some work deadlines, but I plan to read through it more as soon as I get my work done.  I've wondered if this ever gets easier or if it's just always going to hang over our heads.  People keep asking when he's going to be done with treatment...uh maybe never.  Then they give you a strange look. 

I am so glad...:) I don't

I am so glad...:) I don't know if the docs or nurses realize we are always trying to read between the lines. I am so happy for you good news.

jen2012 said:

Thank you guys for your

Thank you guys for your support and wisdom!  I guess I panicked too soon.  I emailed the nurse back this afternoon to let her know I was thinking it was bad and she emailed me to say "don't panic, I think everything is ok, she just knew you were coming in and that she'd talk to you then"   Then the doc just emailed me and said that there were no active cancer cells in the bone biopsy and we'd talk more tomorrow.  So I think that is good right??   I wish they'd be little more considerate of how nervous patients and their families are.  I imagine I'm not the only one that would panic, right?  

I'm relieved, but still think this all sucks big time.  Craig, I've looked over your other post quickly.  Have some work deadlines, but I plan to read through it more as soon as I get my work done.  I've wondered if this ever gets easier or if it's just always going to hang over our heads.  People keep asking when he's going to be done with treatment...uh maybe never.  Then they give you a strange look. 

i am really happy for your

i am really happy for your good news. your right i cant believe that these doctors and nurses arent more considerate. i have the same probem.

jen2012 said:

You guys are all very kind
You guys are all very kind and understanding. I felt a little stupid last night for assuming the worst and letting myself get so upset.

Buster Brown...my husband does just that..only thinks about cancer when he needs to. Says he wants it to be the smallest part of his life and wont give it time it doesnt deserve. I tend to obsess about it and drive myself crazy. Like googling "no active cancer cells" last night leads me to think there are these dangerous little lesions just waiting to jump out and scare us. Trying not to worry about what may not happen. Tara ...glad to hear that they are very treatable!

Chelsea...So sorry Steve continues to have problems. Life seems to unreal. I found myself waiting in the pick up line for my son yesterday just pissed off watching people laughing and going about life without care. I hate that anyone has to deal with this crap.

I had to laugh when I read
I had to laugh when I read you googled "no active cancer cells". I do that all the time. Didn't realize anyone else would do this too. I will later google phrases or sentences the doctor uses while speaking to us. It gets me into trouble from time to time. I am my own worse enemy.

We had a big app. with a liver surgeon in Montreal on Monday. In preparation for it I had to get together Steve's pathology reports, recent consultaion reports, scans on discs etc. Got them from the records department at the hospital. I tried very hard to organize them without reading them. I knew the trouble I could get into if I started to read. Unfortunately, certain words would occasionally jump out at me and this would cause me to read sentences which necessitated reading paragraphs which lead to googling a hundred different medical terms etc..... I learned, for example, that a report would never just say, "no bone metastasis", or "bones appear fine". They would word it all as vaguely as possible. I also learned (at least in our case) that the onc doesn't tell you everything. Just what she wants us to know. Maybe this is why she wanted to fax these report directly to the surgeon. I'm actually grateful for this. It would have been a lot of worry for no reason.

Anyways, my point is don't worry too much about "no active cancer cells". Best to just take it as good news. Even if the bones look odd in certain spots it could be from previous injuries etc...

I hadn't thought about it but maybe having my husbands GP cut out my skin cancer isn't the best way to go. Could be one of those mistakes you look back on with regret. I will ask my doctor for a referral.