Onc Visit and Scan Results for Sundance

Lovekitties had asked about my onc visit the other day – I’m up a little today, so thought I would update you all with this post.

It’s “official” – the mass in the LEFT lung is gone now. I saw the scan itself and read the report and went over it with the onc, as well. We’ll be watching it of course, but this was a bit of good news in an otherwise lengthy battle.

We’re starting the 2nd half of the battle this Wednesday 8th – I go back to Folfiri and the 5fu pump 46 hours and with a Neulasta shot, as my counts have been bouncing with treatments. The radiation really whacked the WBC’s big time over this past 6 weeks.

So, 2 treatments this month of December and then 8 more into late April or May 2011 and then hopefully we can pull up and look at where we are at. Scans will follow in about 3 months – we’ll look at the radiated area as well as chest, abdomen, and pelvis scans.

The scan result did say there was a 1.1 cm mass in the right lung, we just radiated. But, I remember my onc saying it was probably nothing to worry about, because we just dropped the “nukes” off in my lung and destroyed another 10% lung capacity – how could there still be something he speculated? Could be scar tissue or inflammation – follow up scans will tell us.

So, the battle is and will remain in the original right lung. So far, I’ve had 2 lung surgeries in 9 months – had 2 ribs cut out – chest wall scraped for residual cancer cells – 2 rounds of Folfiri – 6 weeks of radiation and 24/7 5fu – and now back to Folfiri. I’m a little tired.

We agree to continue the protocol and take as many Folfiri treatments as I can take. We’ve got Cancer’s attention again – and we must move forward while we have It on the run.

It’s still to early to call it as this point – I’m hopeful that at the end of this segment of the fight, that we see no evidence of anything and that I’m back in the “watch and wait” mode. In that scenario, we could call it a DRAW – and I’ll gladly take that from this campaign.

We talked about a couple of other deep and serious items, but I think I will “table” those discussions until the new year – they will keep until then.

Christmas 2010 will mark the 3-year anniversary of my liver RFA, where all of my medical team told me that I would not see another Christmas back in 2007 – I believe they termed it “Highly Unlikely.” So, this is a nice milestone and was glad to prove all of them wrong in their assessment. I’m stubborn like that.

I’m grateful that the left side “dried up” and we don’t have to wage war on that front – I’ve got my hands full with what I’ve got going. I do have optimism and hope again – I was sorely in need of that and needed something to hang my hat on, so I could fight on.

Take care everyone!

-Craig