Thursday, November 19, 2009

Once I thought I was wrong....

but I was mistaken.....

This is when those of you who have continued to read this blog, even after it got tediously boring, are rewarded.

You get to be among the first to hear this news:

I went to see Dr. McCort today. After being made to wait for over an hour, she came in and gave me the news. All I can say is, there must be something about the month of November that is ALL WRONG for me!

Long story short, I do have a cyst....actually two cysts, one on top of the other, on my left ovary. They believe it's cancer. I also have some sort of presence near my liver and some vague spots of stuff on my right side, down near where the bowel was stuck to my uterus last November....and on the left side towards my back. When Dr. McCort did my pelvic exam I told her about how my butt has been sore, she did a rectal exam and she and I both feel "something" and it was sore! That's new since the last time I saw her, a month ago.

The report says these are fast-growing things....which is good, because the chemo they give me is great for killing fast growing cancer cells. That's right, I'm going back on the "big chemo"...the carboplatinum and the taxol....and maybe the avastin. First they have to decide if I have surgery or not. Then, if it's surgery, I have to wait for eight weeks after my last chemo treatment, which (if I have been getting chemo in this part of the trial) was four weeks ago tomorrow.

If the decision is to not do surgery, then I can start chemo as soon as next week. I don't really want to have surgery, as long as the chemo gets rid of the cysts as the doctor thinks it will. She was reading Dr. Lachance's report on the surgery he did last November and he noted a lot of scar tissue from my gastric by-pass surgery. I guess I am the kind of person who produces a lot of scar tissue from surgery. Lucky me! I certainly don't want to add to what I already have if I don't need to.

So, it looks like I'll be spending this winter dodging H1N1....which will be my biggest concern. I'll be avoiding shopping and will be breaking out the mask again for my trips to the hospital for bloodwork.

I'm sure I'll also be regaling you with horror stories of constipation and diarrhea once again. I hope there are no vomiting stories....my record of not vomiting since 1986 is still intact and I want to keep it that way.

One thing is for sure, we know what to expect and what to do to keep it from happening, or to make it better if it does happen! Live and learn I always say...live and learn.

So, aren't you glad you hung in here with this blog? Now, you can go out and scoop the next guy on this news. Feel free to tell them I told you all about it! You can even gloat that you knew before so and so did....I know I would if I were you! Your faithfulness has been rewarded.

Of course you know I like to jest. That will never change. Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. I'll see you next Spring sometime.....bald and beautiful!!!

Nighty night!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The latest and greatest

Haven't posted for awhile and someone reminded me today of it. I have been remiss in not writing here about the latest going's on.

As you may remember, I had a CT scan a couple of weeks ago. I think I commented on it, I usually piss and moan about these tests, which I have to have every three months, as I hate having to drink that crap that give you before the test. Even chemo doesn't bother me as much as that crap does.

Anyhoo, I go for the CT scan and I forget about it. So on Monday I get a call from Dr. McCort (my other new doctor). After a lot of small talk (excessive I thought) about our cruise, etc., she finally gets around to telling me why she called.

It seems that the CT scan showed that I have another cyst on my left ovary (the same thing that I had last year, that started me on this whole whirlwind tour) and it was growing large. Also, my bowel was intersussepting....which means "telescoping into itself." I had had this before and was kind of figuring out on my own that it was happening again. I'm pretty sure this is what had been causing me all the pain I was having in my abdomen back in Aug/Sept.

She said that she has to consult with the radiologist as the scan had been read only by the chief resident, so it was only the preliminary report. She ordered a CA125 test for me and said she wants to see me this Thursday. She cancelled my chemo session, which was scheduled for Friday, because she said that if I do have intersusseption going on, the chemo is bad for it...and I may have to stop taking the chemo.

She is concerned that the cancer is back. I am not concerned about this at all. Although if she is right, I know what I have to do. I believe that this IS just a cyst....a pain in the ass cyst (actually pain in the pelvis cyst) and I believe this because she said that they described it as "fluid-filled." If it was HARD, then I would worry. But fluid-filled doesn't scare me!

Anyway, if I had to stop the chemo I wouldn't shed a tear. I am tired most of the time and I'm sure it's due to the chemo. My bowels are all messed up and I'm sure it's due to the chemo. My fingernails crumble, split and flake...and I'm sure it's due to the chemo. I'm sure the chemo is doing other things too, that I just don't recognize at this time.

On top of all this, the other day my abdomen was bulging and when I pushed on the bulge it made squishing sounds like fluid swishing around. I had Sandy listen and she was mystified about what it was. Then I talked with Carol about it and she said immediately: "sounds like you have an incisional hernia." BINGO!!! That is EXACTLY what it is.

So, I think on Thursday I'm going to be hearing about plans for another little surgery--to get rid of the cyst (think I'll insist on them taking the ovary too); what they can do to stave off the intersusseption and fixing that hernia.

I guess I just like to have surgery in November. This time a year ago I was having my surgery and starting my chemo. This November/December it will be all about small repairs.

So, keep a good thought for me on Thursday. I go at 2:00 to see her and find out the news.

Also, keep good thoughts for my Husky pal, Harvey, who had huge surgery yesterday. He has a lot tougher road ahead of him than I do! I know he will make it, he has a positive attitude and a lot of folks rooting for him.

Speaking of Huskies and rooting....tonight ESPN2, they play in the same house as the Lady Vols. Just not against the Lady Vols. Wonder if GMan and Miss Pat will exchange words? Or, please, PLEASE....fisticuffs! We need some excitement in the women's game...as it looks like UConn will be going undefeated again this year. Ho hum!

GO HUSKIES!!!

Nighty night