Tomorrow I go to have my port flushed at my oncologists office. When you have a port, it has to be flushed every three months in order to ensure it is functional, and that it does not become clogged. I will also be telling the staff and my oncologist that I am changing medical groups. I am sorry to be leaving such a kind staff, but I am not sorry to leave that medical group! However, I hope that I am not going to just run into the same problems at the new medical group. We shall see.
Also, I got a call today that they are STILL waiting for the insurance approval for the CT guided needle biopsy of my liver. However, we did set up an appointment for it, for next Thursday. If they won't let me have it done at the university, I'll just wait until April 1 when the new medical group kicks in. I mean, I've waited this long already, whats another week or so? It sounds interesting. I'll be under twilight sedation, and they will insert a needle into me. They will keep putting me in and out of the CT scanner, to make sure that the needle is going the right way. They said it takes about an hour, and that they keep you there for about four hours afterward to make sure nothing important got punctured, except for what they wanted to puncture. ;)
The biopsy will tell us if the suspected cancer on or near my liver is still ovarian cancer, or if it is some other type. That will determine what type of chemotherapy I will get. Doxil or Gemzar or Taxotere - oh my! There is a certain poetry to chemotherapy drug names.
I am in great spirits though. The clouds and fear have lifted - I have not been plagued by them for several weeks. I asked God for a miracle. I don't know if I will get it or not, but the simple action of asking seemed to lift the paralyzing fear from me.
I just wanted to give you all a short update (that really was not so short). I'll let you know when I know, if the needle biopsy will continue as scheduled or not!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Living with cancer
The title says it all. The gynecologic oncologist said that from here on out, I will likely have cancer. The PET scan showed three areas -near my liver, on my colon, and in my upper abdomen. Those little cells sure get around! There was also a suspicious area in my neck (the scan said it could be the thyroid, or vascular). She was not convinced that was cancer.
She said the chemotherapy that I was previously on, did not seem to do a thing to stop or slow the cancer. I am platinum resistant (became immune to the effects), or refractory (never had any effect). What a waste! I hate that I was poisoning my body for no reason.
She said that we can fight it with chemo - all different types of chemo - to hopefully keep it from growing, and possibly shrink it. I would stay on one type of chemo until the cancer decides to ignore it, and then try another. But the implication is that chemotherapy will be my life.
She wants to biopsy (needle biopsy) the mass near my liver, I guess to ensure that it is ovarian cancer, and not a cancer of some other name. I will be switching my insurance to her hospital, where any future chemotherapy I get will be under her direct supervision. I only hope that my insurance company will understand and not be slow to act in changing my coverage.
So, that is where everything stands as far as the game plan. I hope that one of the chemotherapies is especially effective, and knocks this back for a while.
Tonight I am making chili for my company's 'chili contest' that they hold every year. That is more important than worrying about the future -right? ;) In fact, I need to change that title up there to " LIVING with cancer " (because "cooking with cancer" just doesn't sound quite right... ;) )
She said the chemotherapy that I was previously on, did not seem to do a thing to stop or slow the cancer. I am platinum resistant (became immune to the effects), or refractory (never had any effect). What a waste! I hate that I was poisoning my body for no reason.
She said that we can fight it with chemo - all different types of chemo - to hopefully keep it from growing, and possibly shrink it. I would stay on one type of chemo until the cancer decides to ignore it, and then try another. But the implication is that chemotherapy will be my life.
She wants to biopsy (needle biopsy) the mass near my liver, I guess to ensure that it is ovarian cancer, and not a cancer of some other name. I will be switching my insurance to her hospital, where any future chemotherapy I get will be under her direct supervision. I only hope that my insurance company will understand and not be slow to act in changing my coverage.
So, that is where everything stands as far as the game plan. I hope that one of the chemotherapies is especially effective, and knocks this back for a while.
Tonight I am making chili for my company's 'chili contest' that they hold every year. That is more important than worrying about the future -right? ;) In fact, I need to change that title up there to " LIVING with cancer " (because "cooking with cancer" just doesn't sound quite right... ;) )
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