Outlier

Dr. Chan (DF) called this afternoon [within an hour of me calling her]. What the doctors at DF have given me for a diagnosis is their best conclusion based on the information they have, but this diagnosis is not a set in stone, guaranteed to last diagnosis. It is the best conclusion they could draw based on the conflicting results from the battery of tests, scans, etc. that they had. Comforting, eh?

Their diagnosis is that cancer in my liver and the cancer in my cervix are two separate processes (cancers), but the cancer in my liver is more advanced than previously thought. The tumors in my liver are highly active (3 on a scale of 1-3) neuroendocrine tumors. The cancer in my cervix is (still) advanced endometrial adenocarcinoma.

They are recommending a double-dose chemotherapy regimen which will go in 3 week cycles. Days 1-3 are chemo, day 4 is a white blood cell count boosting shot, then off for days 5-21, except for weekly bloodwork and check-ins. I will go through 2 cycles of that (6 weeks) and then will undergo a scan to see if it is working. If it is, we carry on as long as I can take it (typically about 6 cycles in all). If not, we adjust and try another combination.

I spoke with Dr. S a couple of times today as well, with my foremost question being: "Do you trust this conclusion and treatment path?" He does, and since I trust him fully, I will start treatment next week, as long as all of the insurance approvals and scheduling can work out.

The big question ~ prognosis: It is not good, about what it was before (months).

One of the most interesting math topics (to me) is outliers. Those pieces of data that do not fit in with the vast majority of data. I plan to be an outlier. And to be clear, one that is FAR to the right on the number line.