Today was quite possibly the emotionally hardest to date in the cancer fight. At Mayo, my physician’s assistant, Lindsey, came into the office and told me that I have two spots “suspicious for metastasis” in my brain MRI. Both are pretty tiny, 4 mm and 1 mm. Apparently that is why they pulled me from the study. I cried pretty damn hard at that. She told me that I was lucky they discovered it so early instead of when I had symptoms that would affect my quality of life.
Anyway Lindsey assured me that Dr. Schild, my radiation oncologist, would meet with me later in the day to discuss the MRI and to propose a treatment plan. She said that he and Dr. Ross would be working closely together to devise the best path for me to take. She is trying to get me involved with another study for those lung cancer patients finished with treatment for what I now have, Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC IV). I felt much better.
Dr. Schild showed me the spots on my MRI. Apparently he found another one. So one is cancer for sure and I have two others that are pretty suspicious. He scheduled me for a more accurate test and for radiation treatment. He gave me two choices. The first of which was Gamma Knife Surgery. I said no thanks--I’m no fucking rhesus monkey. Google Gamma Knife surgery, and you will understand why. They screw that damn thing into your skull! Anyway the second one is five days of radiation to the affected areas. Both of these choices stand if I only have three or fewer tumors. Any more and they have to irradiate my entire brain. Nice.
Oh. Dr. Schild also told me that he had a couple other patients leave radiation treatment with a racing heart. Apparently it has happened before. Good to know I am not a freak. Sadly, it looks like there is nothing they can do about it.
So I have to go on to fight more of the good fight. I will keep you updated.
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