I'm so ready for spring!!!
Well, I was supposed to be in the hospital this weekend getting my last round of salvage chemo but instead I'm home enjoying the beautiful weather. I had a CT scan Thursday and unfortunately it showed that the cancer cells in my lung had doubled rather than responding to the last two 35 hour rounds of chemo. YaY for getting out of the last 35 hour round of chemo!!
I met with my doctors to see what the next step should be. Basically the type of cancer I have is so rare that there is no textbook response. They are frustrated with how my body is responding. There aren't even a handful of cases that can be cited that are similar to mine. What my cancer cells are doing has been seen before....in men who are 70+ and have multiple tumors in their body. Unfortunately the only thing that can be done usually is palliative care but due to my age and otherwise great health (who knew I was so young and healthy!) this isn't a good option for me. I was scanned from my knees to the top of my head and the good news is I have no other cancer anywhere in my body. The only cancer cells are the rogue cancer cells inside my left lung that broke away from my original chest tumor. They found a way to survive both my RCHOP chemo regime and my salvage chemo regime....two of the most intense chemotherapy regimes on the market. It really is amazing :) So, what's the next step? There are several options that could be taken and we were charged with choosing which one we wanted to pursue. I am very thankful I have physicians who have gone above and beyond their normal duties to research and seek expert advice. I am also very thankful for a supportive family that is willing to do anything to take care of me. After consulting with 5 oncologists with varying specialties at varying institutions across the country, including the world's foremost physician on my particular type of lymphoma, they all agreed that the next best step is radiation....so radiation it is :)
I meet with a radiation oncologist Tuesday morning at 9:30 to set up my treatments. I will have 2-4 weeks of daily radiation on my lung and possibly on the original tumor in my mediastinal. After this we'll get another scan and see what has happened. We're obviously hoping that the radiation will kill these rather persistent and very intelligent cancer cells in my lung :) Stubbornness runs in my family and I have my fair share right down to my cells :) I don't have any prognosis or success percentages to give....it just hasn't happened before....and it will depend on many factors. I should have relatively few side effects from the radiation due to the location of the cells. There are some short term and some possible long term but still it should not be nearly as bad as the chemo regime's I just finished. I'm pretty excited about this part :)
After they are able to clear the cancer cells in my lung I will have to immediately undergo intense high dose chemo and an allogenic stem cell transplant. Originally I was supposed to have an autologous stem cell transplant where I was my own donor; however, due to how my body is responding that is no longer an option. My immune system is just not good enough. I will need another person's immune system to be transplanted in my body and attack my own immune system in order to have any chance at going into remission. I'm thankful all of my siblings are willing to be a donor.
I'm so thankful for many, many things. I truly am blessed. I have the best family anyone could hope for. I have physicians who are on my side, fighting for me, making contacts across the country, seeking expert advice, trying to make me well. I have a boss who is generous and very understanding. I have friends who are supportive and giving. So many of you have given in multiple ways...thank you!!! More than any of these blessings I have faith in a great God that is giving me peace, joy and gratefulness as I face each day. Many of you have asked if I am ok, and I am :) I'll say again: this is what has been put on my plate and along with the struggle I was given the ability to handle it. Of course I would never have chosen this! It's not the type of thing you sign up for with great anticipation. I realize the seriousness of it and the mortality that I face. I'm not putting on a happy face and faking it. I lost a dear friend this week to her battle with cancer. It's heart wrenching. I know it's serious and I know the more my body resists treatment the more the disease effects my body. I look forward to the day that my body is disease free and healthy! Of course I experience a range of emotions on any given day but the average day finds me grateful and happy. I have so much to be thankful for and it really could be so much worse. I am living a relatively normal life and enjoying it very much :) I have no fear of the future for I know who controls it and I trust Him.
Thank you for all of your prayers! They are so encouraging! Please continue to pray that these stubborn cells will respond to the radiation :)
Well, I was supposed to be in the hospital this weekend getting my last round of salvage chemo but instead I'm home enjoying the beautiful weather. I had a CT scan Thursday and unfortunately it showed that the cancer cells in my lung had doubled rather than responding to the last two 35 hour rounds of chemo. YaY for getting out of the last 35 hour round of chemo!!
I met with my doctors to see what the next step should be. Basically the type of cancer I have is so rare that there is no textbook response. They are frustrated with how my body is responding. There aren't even a handful of cases that can be cited that are similar to mine. What my cancer cells are doing has been seen before....in men who are 70+ and have multiple tumors in their body. Unfortunately the only thing that can be done usually is palliative care but due to my age and otherwise great health (who knew I was so young and healthy!) this isn't a good option for me. I was scanned from my knees to the top of my head and the good news is I have no other cancer anywhere in my body. The only cancer cells are the rogue cancer cells inside my left lung that broke away from my original chest tumor. They found a way to survive both my RCHOP chemo regime and my salvage chemo regime....two of the most intense chemotherapy regimes on the market. It really is amazing :) So, what's the next step? There are several options that could be taken and we were charged with choosing which one we wanted to pursue. I am very thankful I have physicians who have gone above and beyond their normal duties to research and seek expert advice. I am also very thankful for a supportive family that is willing to do anything to take care of me. After consulting with 5 oncologists with varying specialties at varying institutions across the country, including the world's foremost physician on my particular type of lymphoma, they all agreed that the next best step is radiation....so radiation it is :)
I meet with a radiation oncologist Tuesday morning at 9:30 to set up my treatments. I will have 2-4 weeks of daily radiation on my lung and possibly on the original tumor in my mediastinal. After this we'll get another scan and see what has happened. We're obviously hoping that the radiation will kill these rather persistent and very intelligent cancer cells in my lung :) Stubbornness runs in my family and I have my fair share right down to my cells :) I don't have any prognosis or success percentages to give....it just hasn't happened before....and it will depend on many factors. I should have relatively few side effects from the radiation due to the location of the cells. There are some short term and some possible long term but still it should not be nearly as bad as the chemo regime's I just finished. I'm pretty excited about this part :)
After they are able to clear the cancer cells in my lung I will have to immediately undergo intense high dose chemo and an allogenic stem cell transplant. Originally I was supposed to have an autologous stem cell transplant where I was my own donor; however, due to how my body is responding that is no longer an option. My immune system is just not good enough. I will need another person's immune system to be transplanted in my body and attack my own immune system in order to have any chance at going into remission. I'm thankful all of my siblings are willing to be a donor.
I'm so thankful for many, many things. I truly am blessed. I have the best family anyone could hope for. I have physicians who are on my side, fighting for me, making contacts across the country, seeking expert advice, trying to make me well. I have a boss who is generous and very understanding. I have friends who are supportive and giving. So many of you have given in multiple ways...thank you!!! More than any of these blessings I have faith in a great God that is giving me peace, joy and gratefulness as I face each day. Many of you have asked if I am ok, and I am :) I'll say again: this is what has been put on my plate and along with the struggle I was given the ability to handle it. Of course I would never have chosen this! It's not the type of thing you sign up for with great anticipation. I realize the seriousness of it and the mortality that I face. I'm not putting on a happy face and faking it. I lost a dear friend this week to her battle with cancer. It's heart wrenching. I know it's serious and I know the more my body resists treatment the more the disease effects my body. I look forward to the day that my body is disease free and healthy! Of course I experience a range of emotions on any given day but the average day finds me grateful and happy. I have so much to be thankful for and it really could be so much worse. I am living a relatively normal life and enjoying it very much :) I have no fear of the future for I know who controls it and I trust Him.
Thank you for all of your prayers! They are so encouraging! Please continue to pray that these stubborn cells will respond to the radiation :)