Joyce's possible new look.
Joan and I met with my oncologist this afternoon. The appointment started out with great news: I’ve lost another 6 lbs over the past couple of weeks. Next, more good news: the cancer doesn’t appear to have spread. At least, not to my brain, neck or other organs. After this, things went kind of down hill.
After a wait of 2 weeks for scan results, they still don’t know what’s going on beneath the ‘dense, nodular infiltrate’ obscuring my right lung. This means the cancer could be there…or it could be gone. They do know that there’s ‘marked abnormal FDG activity’ (it glowed). This can indicate cancer, or just the radiation pneumonitis I seem to have developed. Hey, I’ll take the pneumonitis over cancer, any day of the week. Pneumonitis may be treated by prednisone; untreated pneumonitis can lead to permanent lung scarring, AKA “radiation fibrosis.” In case I survive this journey through cancer, I’ll be needing my lungs, preferably unscarred. Prednisone comes with a long list of delightful side effects, such as a puffy, “moon face,” personality changes and yet more insomnia. I think a moon face will go nicely with my current baldness. Hey, it’s only June, and I already have my Halloween costume planned! Combined with the personality change, I may get to become a whole new person before this is all over. I hope she’s not boring, yet likes to clean house during those long, insomniac nights.
Before we left Kaiser, the nurse scheduled me for another CT scan for June 30. They think the CT scan may show what lurks, or doesn’t lurk, beneath the ‘dense infiltrate.’ They’ll wait to start me on prednisone until my other doctors are consulted.
Joan and I decided to celebrate my 6 lb weight loss and no-sign-of-cancer-in-the-brain with a meal at Palermo, an Italian American restaurant of the red sauce and chianti bottle variety. I’ve been going to Palermo for nearly 35 years and believe their meat sauce to be curative; it is the only restaurant I’ve ever ordered spaghetti in. Once seated in our red leatherette booth by our robust server, we felt better; nearly normal. We didn’t have all the answers to our questions, but now we had garlic bread, pasta and each other. And, at that moment, what else did we really need?
Indeed, what else could ya need? It sounds like your right where your suppose to be and for that I am happy! This journey your on, including us all in it with you, has given me many many things to be grateful for, inspired by, and excited about! your always in my prayers, somehow, I know they’re working…… XoXo David~
I prefer to think the FDG is probably just cancer cells strangling to death. Go get ‘em! And good news about the weight loss. You think it’s the hiking with the MLBBLS?
xoxoxo,
Jane
Sure! Also, I’ve been using how Laurie picks and chooses food as a model, without the margaritas and chocolate part. Obviously, I don’t follow the model THAT closely, just closer than before. I figure it’ll be easier to breathe if there’s less of me to lug around.
Joyce
I could have told the oncologist that it did not go to your brain. All anyone has to do to determine that is to read your beautiful prose. As for baldness, puffness and insominia it comes with age. I’ve got it all. So maybe we had better go trick or treating together next Halloween.
…”pasta, garlic bread and each other…” works for me!!…you’ve discovered life’s secret. I do wish you well when you go in today for your CT scan. At least if I see someone walking up Brunswick with that certain “Ghostbusters Glow” Ill know it’s you!! I hope this will at least pull you out of that information limbo you’re currently dealing with (hey!!! what’s happening????)!! We look forward to seeing you guys soon…p.s. I check emails most nights (unless I had one of THOSE nights at work)…if you’re up around 1:00 when I get home and need someone to yak with, leave me a note and I’ll respond…maybe we’ll take a moonlight stroll to Los Feliz and back (just MUST remember the skunk repellant……is there such a thing?)…hugs…Tony
lol photo caption