Jan 28th Update: What a week!

Thanks to everyone for your notes and well wishes.  It’s very odd to be in a position of being sick and wanting to tough it out on my own ... but knowing that the power of sharing it with others can be so amazingly positive.   I truly appreciate that I can share this with you.  

That said, I don’t know what you guys are doing ... but PLEASE keep doing it!  It’s working! 
Paula and Ted - thanks so much for the "margi's in the mail" I couldn't have asked for a better surprise - at a better time! :)

I’ve never been a strong believer in the thinking that “things are meant to be”, “things happen for a reason” and other trivial platitudes and cliches used to justify a bad situation, but today I’m a bit of a "new" believer.  

I digress ... but will come back to that. 

This week I met with the oncologists to discuss my final treatment plan and the new results from additional tests.  After bouncing my thoughts off Lin on the weekend, I spent the evening before this meeting discussing my questions with my former doctor/friend Brian and got solid on both my frame of mind and how to structure my questions.  (Have I mentioned that I’m the luckiest person in the world because of the people who grace my life??)  

The medical oncologist (Dr Wong) spent 1.5 hrs with Tammy & I and entertained even all of my silliest questions (I’ll bet I’m the only person in the world who has had a discussion with an oncologist that resulted in his suggesting I eat a marshmallow!).   The only really important thing in a doctor is his/her experience with your specific problem and their personal outcomes or success ratio.  Many people want bedside manner to be the ultimate skill of a doctor but I frankly just care about how good they are.   I was warned that Dr Wong could be a little cold and impersonal and I was prepared for that ... but I found him to be anything but that!  He was thorough, helpful, warm and engaging.   Maybe it’s because I’ve researched this thing to death and, the Lori that is me, tends to over-analyze things and dig into the minutia of a problem so I can back it all out and then solve it at a higher level.   What can I say? Old habits die very hard!  :) 

So, Dr Wong.  I asked him how much experience he has had with this specific cancer.   This is a rare cancer and most docs will have never seen a case of it in their careers.   He shocked me when he said “over 150 cases in the past 25 yrs”.  He has typically seen 6 – 7 cases for each of the past 25 yrs.  Most specialists in this cancer won’t have seen 6 – 7 cases ever!   How on earth did I manage to get a rare cancer and have the leading specialist for it practicing 10 mins from my house ... and I was diagnosed 3 days before moving to Peru???   Add to that the catastrophe in Peru right now (as a friend said “I think ass cancer might have saved your ASS!”.

Ok, I’ll admit it ... maybe some things are “just meant to be”.  :)

There was lots of good news on this day.   

• Dr Wong was able to secure my needed supply of the chemo drug that is in worldwide shortage.   This means that I will get the standard protocol for this with a fairly good prognosis.   (there is an >60% 5-yr survival but a 40+% chance it will recur in the next 2 yrs ... but that means a 60% chance that it won’t!)  Those are the global stats for this cancer but his rates are much better than that – this is the real benefit of having an expert in your disease – the intuitive knowledge that leads to much better outcomes.         
• My latest MRI results show that the cancer has not yet spread to the lymph nodes!   
• I was officially downgraded to a Grade 2 (T2N0M0).  This doesn’t change the treatment but it certainly changes the prognosis.         
• The area they thought was local spread of the tumour was simply inflammation from the surgery!  Yippee!   This means that surgery effectively made me cancer-free and the treatments, while absolutely necessary, are just really insurance to make sure the cancer is eradicated at the microscopic level. 

This means Graffiti was right!  (see details in the sidebar). 

Chemo and radiation are going to be a BEAR!  ... but with help and support from you - my friends -  it’s going to be bearable.  :D  (sorry bad jokes prevail!). 

I have built my project plan to beat this (you should see the “war room” in my office!) and I am focusing on the little bits of happiness that happen each day.    Check back on the sidebar of the blog to see them daily ... 

In the words of Dr. Wong, “talk to your body – don’t let your body talk to you!”   That’s easy ... if I’d been listening to my body over the years, I would NEVER be where I am today.  :)  This is just like hiking a mountain ... it can get really tough physically but your mind can always over-rule your body and you can always reach the top!   Look out TOP – we’re having a party when I get there!   Who’s bringing the wine?? 

See you at the TOP!  

~ Lori