Monday, February 17, 2014 - CAT Scan Results & Next Steps

Well...I did not receive good news today. Three months ago when I had my CAT scan, the six tumors I had in my lungs were reported as follows: two were no longer visible, two were reduced in size, and two had increased in size. Today's results show that all six tumors are again present, all increasing in size and the two larger tumors doubling in size. I wasn't confident that I was going to be clean (I've been having too much difficulty breathing and coughing), but this isn't the news I expected. On the up side, it's still the original six and no sign of disease elsewhere. This is a very good thing.

Next steps...Dr. McC. believes our best bet is once again Carboplatin, but this time as a single treatment. Meaning that there will not be an accompanying drug such as Taxol or Gemcitabine. I received Carboplatin twice before, and both times it took me to the promised land of remission. Since I have not had Carboplatin in approximately nine months, she is hopeful it will once again lead me to remission. I asked if I could take a break before beginning the new treatment regime without it being detrimental to my health. She said yes, we just don't want to wait too long because I need you to be healthy enough to receive treatment. Treatment will be once every three weeks. After three cycles (nine weeks) we will do a CAT scan to see what progress has been made.

My first treatment is scheduled for Monday, February 24th. Dr. McC. said its easier for her and the infusion suite to have me on the schedule then to try and get me in last minute. She then followed up by saying...if you wanna come in for treatment fine, if you want to cancel that's OK too.

I dropped the "F" bomb in front of Dr. McC. and told her I was going to go home, think things through and maybe break something. She told me to break something good.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014 - Treatment is Complete

What fun the past six months have been...not! Or as my niece, Toni would say...oh, hell no.

I am happy to say that I have completed, and survived six months of Etoposide (treatment). This girl is so happy I cried. Partially because that part of my journey is finished, done, finito...and partially because I don't  know what the future holds for me. I guess that's life though, no matter what your situation in life, you never know whats around the corner and what tomorrow might bring...(face to the sunshine).

Self administering your own treatment is very different than going to the Oncology Clinic. When you are feeling lousy to begin with, and you realize its that time of day...time to take your drugs...which of course are going to add to your feelings of lousiness...I would sometimes need to put my big girl panties on and suck it up. I often thought of one of my favorite quotes from John Wayne..."Courage is being scared to death...and saddling up anyway." So true, so true.

I currently feel like crap. That's not unusual, and certainly not unusual at the end of a cycle. But today was a new day...a new beginning...life without treatment. It takes a couple of weeks to start feeling better...and several months to start feeling good. I want to look back years from now and say...wow, what a ride....but I did it.

I have a CAT scan in the morning and a follow up appointment with Dr. McC. on Monday for the results....wish me luck!