UPDATE
For those of you who check this for an update on my condition: I'm healing well from surgery although on Wednesday the drainage line fell out, so the wound had to be bandaged tightly to prevent swelling. However, I went back to the surgeon yesterday and all is well: no swelling. It appears my body has adjusted adequately. And those 150 cc's of gook that my body was expelling down that drain have ceased or are being absorbed. Yuck!
The surgeon believes that he was able to get all of the cancer. However, since it had spread to the lymph nodes, chemotherapy is standard protocol. There is the possibility that some cancer cells have escaped the surgeon's knife and may be lurking in some dark corner of my anatomy waiting for the opportunity to reproduce and create more trouble! Therefore, in another week or so, we'll begin the process of poisoning my system to be sure that none of the malignant cells survive. (Doesn't that sound archaic? Kind of like the dark age!) Ah! The miracles of modern science! However, the oncologist assures us that chemotherapy has, indeed, come a long way in the last ten years and that he will be able to specifically target the kind of cancer cells that I had. (And hopefully have no more). For that, additional pathological test were order to test for receptors, etc in the cancer cells.
Seeing the oncologist: That's a downer; kind of like the upper of seeing the gynecologist for the first time when you're pregnant: it makes it all very real. Chemotherapy will start as soon as my system has recooperated from surgery. Next week I see all three doctors again before any chemo is prescribed: and must have another round of blood tests, EKG, and other system checks to be sure I'm up to the chemo. Jehovah Shama!!
PJ
www.jccelgin.org
The surgeon believes that he was able to get all of the cancer. However, since it had spread to the lymph nodes, chemotherapy is standard protocol. There is the possibility that some cancer cells have escaped the surgeon's knife and may be lurking in some dark corner of my anatomy waiting for the opportunity to reproduce and create more trouble! Therefore, in another week or so, we'll begin the process of poisoning my system to be sure that none of the malignant cells survive. (Doesn't that sound archaic? Kind of like the dark age!) Ah! The miracles of modern science! However, the oncologist assures us that chemotherapy has, indeed, come a long way in the last ten years and that he will be able to specifically target the kind of cancer cells that I had. (And hopefully have no more). For that, additional pathological test were order to test for receptors, etc in the cancer cells.
Seeing the oncologist: That's a downer; kind of like the upper of seeing the gynecologist for the first time when you're pregnant: it makes it all very real. Chemotherapy will start as soon as my system has recooperated from surgery. Next week I see all three doctors again before any chemo is prescribed: and must have another round of blood tests, EKG, and other system checks to be sure I'm up to the chemo. Jehovah Shama!!
PJ
www.jccelgin.org
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