Visit with Oncologist Today

Hi all:

Basketcase wife here. I had posted earlier about Charlie's biopsy from bleeding ulcer showed cancer. Well, he had the abdominal ct scan and lower lumbar mri on Tuesday and we met with onc. today. It seems as if this is a very rare thing to have happened with head and neck cancer. It has returned not in his throat, but spot in the lung, liver, spine, and stomach. Now he explained this is not liver cancer, bone cancer, lung cancer or stomach cancer but the same type of cancer he had in his throat. He said this was a serious setback but he didn't think it was a situation where we throw our hands up and say forget it; there's nothing more to be done. There are things we can do. That being said, he said this has come back with avengence in a year and a half. Normally, you're looking at months instead of years; but there again who knows with this being a rare thing to happen. Anyway, Charlie will start on erbitux on Monday and I forget what the other two drugs are on Tuesday. Onc. said they really monitor you closely on erbitux the first time and if all goes well on Monday and Tuesday then it would just be one day/week for 7 weeks and they would be able to give all the drugs on the same day. I know I have seen something in this post about erbitux but forget what was said about it. It doesn't sound good, but we're not giving up. We believe in miracles; know they can and do happen and it is possible; whether it is probable we don't know. But we have a whole host of people praying for us and I know y'all out there will be too. After 7 weeks they will do another scan and see where we are then. We're headed to Social Security tomorrow to check into diability ss. Yes, I have cried many tears today. As I have told my family and friends, let me have today to woller and then tomorrow it's onward and upward. Our prayer is hey, this is a rare thing to happen so maybe it will be a rare thing that this will be cured. Onc. said he didn't think we were looking at a cure, because when you talk about a cure the cancer is cured doesn't come back. But he thought we could treat it. I can assure y'all this oncologist that we have will be researching this as much as he can; he's just that way. At least we know what we're dealing with now and can go from here. Thanks so much for your continued support and prayers. I can't remember the other two drugs that are going to be used; one starts with a T and I think the other starts with a D. Thanks again.

Jan and Charlie