Exploring new options

Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one

Eleanor Roosevelt


I had a very encouraging meeting with my oncologist on Tuesday. She went over the scan results in more detail and they were more positive than first appeared. One of the tumours they are pretty sure is necrotic. This means that the tumour rapidly outgrows its blood supply, resulting in tumour cell death. This is good and bad as far as I can gather. Its good in the sense that what appears to be the tumour growing on the scan is more likely the dead cells. It's bad in the sense that it is very aggressive cancers which result in tumour necrosis. I am currently going with the good. The other tumour has grown by 2 mm which my oncologist says is negligible and the other tumours are still responding to chemo. I think that's a pretty good result all in all. I am therefore going to continue with my current chemo regime and I will be meeting with a thoracic surgeon in the next few weeks to look at possible lung surgery to remove sections where the tumours are. It is a fairly big operation and I will keep an open mind as to what the doctor has to say. If it gives me a chance to stay alive longer I will of course gladly sign up. I am also going to be meeting with the doctor who will advise me on Radiofrequency Ablation. This is keyhole surgery and would therefore be my preferred option. To have these potential surgeries open to me is amazing and I am feeling positive. In 16 months there has been no new evidence of disease, this is encouraging and leaves me hopeful. It reminds me of why I started this blog. We must not be defeated by statistics. We must find strength to fight for our own lives and we absolutely must always see ourselves as individuals. Only then will we believe we can overcome anything.