Game changing day.
Dr. S. called this afternoon to tell me that the biopsy of my liver showed something "interesting." This is not something you want to hear about your liver biopsy. The interesting thing is that the cancer in my liver is not metastasized cervical cancer, rather metastatic carcinoid tumors. In other words, I have two different cancers in my body. Once an overachiever, always an overachiever.
Because it is easy, I am going to go for the Q&A style to share with you what little I know.
Will you start chemotherapy tomorrow?
No; the drug cocktail was designed for metastasized cervical cancer.
How will this be treated?
I will actually receive separate treatments for each of the cancers. What those treatments will be, and when they will start is up in the air. I should be able to receive all my treatments at Glens Falls (my local hospital). My doctors are now looking into a different drug cocktail to treat the cancer in the liver and radiation and low-dose chemo for the cancer in the cervix, but that is not set in stone.
That being said, I will need to go to Dana Farber in Boston to see a specialist there. These types of tumors are uncommon (again, overachiever) and so I will see a specialist who focuses on endocrine oncology. I don't know when I am going. I need to first do some testing here, including a 3-day octreoscan. So, it will be a few days.
What does this mean for survival rates?
We don't really know yet. The carcinoid tumors are not curable, but they are treatable. There are a lot of open questions that need to be answered before any estimate is made.
Edited to add a new question:
What is your staging?
The cervical cancer is 2B, but the liver cancer is still 4. Somewhere in my body is the primary tumor site for what is going on in the liver. One of the purposes of that 3-day scan is to find the primary tumor. I have no idea what will be done when they find that site to treat that tumor, or if it will be treated along with what is going on in the liver.
How are you?
I am pleading the fifth. It changes from moment to moment, but all in all I am remaining hopeful and going to continue to savor each day.
11 comments:
Ka-chow!
Don't worry...I'm wearing my seatbelt. I'm along for the ride until the car stops!
XOXO
Why wouldn't there be two?!?!? Oh Suzanne... as your world keeps spinning know one thing is solid... you are loved.
Suzanne - I'm looking at this as being something positive - my gutt and brain are both on the same page!!! We are praying hard and I feel like God is listening...I BELIEVE!!!!
Xoxo
Courtney
I'm also with KelliGirl and Courtney on this post!
Tell Ky to poop in the tub again. I'm pretty sure it's magical.
Well, you certainly keep things interesting!!! I'm praying that this is good news (so to speak) for you. Continuing to storm heaven with prayers for you my friend!
Hi Suzanne- I am not afraid of poop as I have seen some with five kids!! Please call me if I can help your family- work gets done everyday at 3:30 and can be available to do errands, babysit, and yes even clean up surprises! I read your blog with love and hope! Leah Scrafford
I'm not sure if this is good or bad news, but I'm glad that they're learning more each day to help plan your attack.
I like to think of all of us on TEAM SMAC as your backup dancers. It sounds like this is the phase in which we learn the dance. When the show begins, we are going to be so ready and so fierce, this cancer will be pleading with us to stop. But we will never stop.
Hi Suzanne -
I don't "know" you - this was posted through a common friend, though. I am not all that far from you (Clifton Park), and am home while my boys are in school, so my general availability is between 10 & 2 weekdays, so long as roads are good. It sounds like you do have family around (thank God, right?), but if there's anything you may need that I can help with during those hours, so that you may concentrate on GETTING BETTER, let me know. My e-mail is lissabenny@yahoo.com. We can take it from there.
Lissa (using my hubby's google account for this)
W.o.w. I always knew you were special :0)
The Whole Howorth family is rooting for you! Day by day and with lots of prayersM
When Dennie said, "Bob, get out of the pool now!" last night the first thing I thought of was that somebody pooped in the pool. Your SMAC relay was a welcome relief!
As you know, we are going back and forth to Boston a lot and would be glad to help with transport. Also, I am member of two organizations, Angel Flight Northeast, an Patient Airlift Services. Both provide free air transport for ambulatory patients who are in need of transport for medical treatment. Flying Glens Falls to Boston Logan might be an option for you and a helper once in a while. Check out the websites or ask me questions.
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