Well, tomorrow I go back into day surgery to have a MedPort put into my chest for them to administer the chemo through when they start the treatments. It is a port that will go into a main artery. Dr. Sullivan says they can't administer chemo thru the veins in your arms 'cos the chemo will end up burning the veins up. Nice thought!! Oh well, I guess it is to be expected when you are putting poison into your body.
I contacted Texas Oncology to get the appointment scheduled to begin the chemo and radiation. They said my MD's office needs to send them all my records, so Dr. Sullivan's office was suppose to do it Monday. If I don't hear from Texas Oncology soon, I will call them again. I am ready to get this show on the road. I don't want it to drag on for weeks. The tumor can be really painful at times, and it is causing other problems (that I don't want to get graphic about), but it involves running to the bathroom alot. I am ready for this thing to quit growing and start dying and shrinking! I feel like I am carrying a monster inside of me that is eating me alive from the inside out.
Will meet with the surgeon Friday.
Let's get this show going!!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
March 26, 2010
Met with Dr. Sullivan today for all the test results. It was a bad news/good news meeting. The good news was all my other organs are cancer free (kidney, liver, lungs, etc.) so the cancer has not spread to them.
The bad news is the cancer that we thought was a 4 inch tumor in my colon, has gone thru the colon wall and into my pelvis area. He held up his hands about the size of a cantaloupe. I don't know if it's actually that big though. I haven't seen any of the images.
The bad part is that there are alot of important blood veins in that area he says. The veins that go to your legs, etc. The cancer has enveloped the blood veins. He says the surgery is going to be a hard surgery because of all the blood vessels involved now.
The game plan is chemo and radiation for 6 weeks to shrink the cancer as much as possible, and then a surgeon will try and remove what is left. He has given me the name of a really good surgeon that is in Dallas. Dr. Litchfield is his name I think. I have an appointment with him next Friday. He also has given me the name of Texas Oncology on Mayfield in Arlington to get the chemo and radiation done at.
Right now my plan is to schedule the chemo and radiation appointments for after work. I will see how that goes physically. I can't miss work because we don't have sick leave there. We have something called PTO (personal time off). I earn about 5.5 hours every 2 weeks. You have to use that for sick leave, vacation, anytime you need off from work. I have a weeks worth saved right now. I don't want to use it. I want to save it for the actual surgery part, so yes, I am going to try my best and work while doing the chemo and radiation. Thank God for short term disability too!
So while the news could had been better, it could had been alot worse too. Bill and I both took a deep sigh of relief, and are now concentrating on what we have been dealt to deal with.
The bad news is the cancer that we thought was a 4 inch tumor in my colon, has gone thru the colon wall and into my pelvis area. He held up his hands about the size of a cantaloupe. I don't know if it's actually that big though. I haven't seen any of the images.
The bad part is that there are alot of important blood veins in that area he says. The veins that go to your legs, etc. The cancer has enveloped the blood veins. He says the surgery is going to be a hard surgery because of all the blood vessels involved now.
The game plan is chemo and radiation for 6 weeks to shrink the cancer as much as possible, and then a surgeon will try and remove what is left. He has given me the name of a really good surgeon that is in Dallas. Dr. Litchfield is his name I think. I have an appointment with him next Friday. He also has given me the name of Texas Oncology on Mayfield in Arlington to get the chemo and radiation done at.
Right now my plan is to schedule the chemo and radiation appointments for after work. I will see how that goes physically. I can't miss work because we don't have sick leave there. We have something called PTO (personal time off). I earn about 5.5 hours every 2 weeks. You have to use that for sick leave, vacation, anytime you need off from work. I have a weeks worth saved right now. I don't want to use it. I want to save it for the actual surgery part, so yes, I am going to try my best and work while doing the chemo and radiation. Thank God for short term disability too!
So while the news could had been better, it could had been alot worse too. Bill and I both took a deep sigh of relief, and are now concentrating on what we have been dealt to deal with.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
March 15, 2010
Went to Baylor Hospital in Waxahachie for the virtual colonoscopy. Only took about 20 minutes, but it was extremely uncomfortable. Without getting too graphic, they stick a tube up your butt, and then proceed to blow up your colon with air. It makes you feel like you have to go to the bathroom so bad! You just know you are going to have an accident laying there on that table. The tech kept assuring me there would be no accident, it was just a by-product of the air.
She took 3 scans while I was laying on my back, and then I had to flip over on my stomach, and she did 3 more scans. Every minute felt like it was 5 minutes long! Then they give you a washcloth and towel to go to the bathroom with. All this air they pumped you with is now going to come out. I was praying no one was in the room next to me hearing the sounds coming out of me for 5 minutes! Wow!
She took 3 scans while I was laying on my back, and then I had to flip over on my stomach, and she did 3 more scans. Every minute felt like it was 5 minutes long! Then they give you a washcloth and towel to go to the bathroom with. All this air they pumped you with is now going to come out. I was praying no one was in the room next to me hearing the sounds coming out of me for 5 minutes! Wow!
March 10, 2010
There is a tumor about 4 inches long, and I am 99% certain it is cancerous. That's the first words I remember hearing right after coming to after the anthestesia. I was extremely calm (thanks to still being under the influence of the drugs). I remember asking the MD, "O.K. What do we need to do next"?
He asked me if I could wait around until noon (about 30 minutes) to meet with Dr. Sullivan who he said was an excellent MD. We waited. I remember Dr. Abdulian showing Dr. Sullivan the pictures he had taken during the colonoscopy. I hear Dr. Sullivan say "Have you shown these pictures to them yet"? Dr. Abdulian replied he had not.
Both MD's came into my space in the recovery unit. Dr. Sullivan sat on the foot of my bed as Dr. Abdulian stood. I was shown the pictures, but really couldn't comprehand what I was looking at. It just looked like a bunch of bloody something. I guess that's what a tumor looks like.
Dr. Sullivan had me go to his office a few miles away, to have some blood work done, and a chest xray. Meanwhile, Dr. Abdulian ordered a virtual colonoscopy (done with a catscan in the Radiology department at a hospital), so he could see places he could not see with the regular procedure. That was scheduled for the following Monday, March 15th.
He asked me if I could wait around until noon (about 30 minutes) to meet with Dr. Sullivan who he said was an excellent MD. We waited. I remember Dr. Abdulian showing Dr. Sullivan the pictures he had taken during the colonoscopy. I hear Dr. Sullivan say "Have you shown these pictures to them yet"? Dr. Abdulian replied he had not.
Both MD's came into my space in the recovery unit. Dr. Sullivan sat on the foot of my bed as Dr. Abdulian stood. I was shown the pictures, but really couldn't comprehand what I was looking at. It just looked like a bunch of bloody something. I guess that's what a tumor looks like.
Dr. Sullivan had me go to his office a few miles away, to have some blood work done, and a chest xray. Meanwhile, Dr. Abdulian ordered a virtual colonoscopy (done with a catscan in the Radiology department at a hospital), so he could see places he could not see with the regular procedure. That was scheduled for the following Monday, March 15th.
February 9, 2010
Followed up with my primary MD, Dr. Dennis. She asked if I ever had a colonoscopy. When I replied no, she said everyone should have one when they turn 50. She gave me a referral to Dr. Abdulian. Appointment was set for Friday, February 12th.
Guess what? Texas gets record breaking snow that day! I have to cancel my appointment. Over the next 2 weeks, I try to reschedule the appointment when I think about it. I have to admit, I wasn't trying too hard to get it re-scheduled.
I finally make myself follow thru and get it re-scheduled for March 4th. Dr. Abdulian wants to do a colonoscopy the following Monday. Because of work issues, we settle on Wednesday the 10th.
Guess what? Texas gets record breaking snow that day! I have to cancel my appointment. Over the next 2 weeks, I try to reschedule the appointment when I think about it. I have to admit, I wasn't trying too hard to get it re-scheduled.
I finally make myself follow thru and get it re-scheduled for March 4th. Dr. Abdulian wants to do a colonoscopy the following Monday. Because of work issues, we settle on Wednesday the 10th.
February 6-7, 2010
Saturday night, I went to bed about 9pm. At 10pm I woke up with really bad stomach pains. I ended up spending the night on the toilet with a trash can in front of me. The pain was horrible. There was no way I could go to a hospital because I couldn't get the anything to stop long enough to allow for a drive to the hospital. After about 8 hours of this, I told Bill if I was still sick by daybreak, I needed to go to the hospital.
Daybreak came with no relief. I got into the car and laid across the backseat while Bill drove. I had a towel under me, and a plastic bag to throw up in. I remember when he asked me what hospital I wanted to go to, I replied "The nearest one".
After a catscan, xrays, and a sonogram, they could not find what was causing the pain. I thought I had torn my lapband loose from all the vomiting, but they said it was still in place. They gave me morphine for the pain.
The MD wanted me to stay in the hospital for more tests the next day, but I promised I would follow up with my primary MD, and went home. I just wanted the pain to stop, and the morphine accomplished that (damn, that was some strong stuff)!!
Daybreak came with no relief. I got into the car and laid across the backseat while Bill drove. I had a towel under me, and a plastic bag to throw up in. I remember when he asked me what hospital I wanted to go to, I replied "The nearest one".
After a catscan, xrays, and a sonogram, they could not find what was causing the pain. I thought I had torn my lapband loose from all the vomiting, but they said it was still in place. They gave me morphine for the pain.
The MD wanted me to stay in the hospital for more tests the next day, but I promised I would follow up with my primary MD, and went home. I just wanted the pain to stop, and the morphine accomplished that (damn, that was some strong stuff)!!
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