3 more months

Friday we saw the Radiation doctor.  She has always seemed like she would give you an honest yet caring answer to your questions.  We discussed the results of the CT, MRI, and even looked at one of my previous PET scans.  Her view is that the tumor is "dead" although we won't exactly know that until we have a PET scan.  However if you do a PET scan to early all the inflimation caused by radiation can show up as active cancer even though it is not.  In her mind having one around Thankgiving would be an appropriate time to let any inflamation calm down.  

When asked if waiting until November was to long she also stated that I have "A very slow growing kind of cancer" so she's pleased to see there is nothing new in the time period since surgery and radiation.  I also asked "If there is no active cancer, where does the Radioactive sugars go?"  That's when she pulled up the PET scan and showed us the image of what lights up.  Your brain, heart among other things light up.  You could see my tumor before as a red spot in the middle of greeen. 

Per the tumor, She stated the body may absorb it or it may not in which case it stays where it is as dead tissue.  That didn't concern her.  I will be o.k. with it being there as long as I can be convinced there are no living cells.

So as I stated on the last post we are praying for a scan where it shows "No active cancer".  Until then I get 3 months of normal living.

Results Day!

Results day!  That's what I'll call today at least if I hadn't read the reports the day they came out.  Today I had a doctor's appointment with my oncologist.  The point of today's meeting was to talk about 2 things.  First Tumor board met on Aug 22nd and my case was presented there by my oncologist there.  Second I was there to discuss the results of my MRI which I had Saturday August 24.  

When my oncologist walked into the room we quickly got to what was happening.  She said that the Doctors in tumor board (including a colleague to my radiation doc) agreed the spot on the CT was a result of the Radiation treatments I had.  The MRI report also mentioned the spot in question and said "No abnormality".  So all that to say my oncologist agreed that things were stable which is the best we can ask for with the tests I've had following treatment.

The other notable thing that was discussed with her is the pain or irritation in my skin from my belt line to the bottom of my shorts.  She didn't seem to know the cause but threw out several things to try to relieve the pain including stretches and excercise.  We have another appointment tomorrow to discuss the MRI/CT with the radiation doctor.   Well bring up my skin irritation with her and see if she might know what might have caused this pain.

What's next you ask,  Sometime in the next 3 months (closer to Thanksgiving) I will have a PetCT and then another meeting with my oncologist.  This scan will show any cancer activity so what we are hoping and praying for is that this scan shows nothing.

~Kent