Second Oncologist Visit

Had the "real" appointment yesterday morning with the oncologist that I wanted in the first place.  I am SO glad I switched.  She is a much better fit for me than the first doctor.  I was not comfortable with him.

The results:  My PET scan was clear and my CEA (blood work) was clear.  While that's good news, there are always the unknowns.  The PET scan will only detect a tumor of 5mm or larger and the CEA doesn't detect very early cancer growth.

The recommendation:  The doctor still recommended preventative chemotherapy; 12 doses over 6 months.  The reason is that there was a rupture and it was impossible to tell if it was a rupture of the tumor or the colon.  If the tumor ruptured then there could be cancer cells spreading around my body.  She cited a 16% three year recurrence rate among stage 2 patients with 12 clear lymph nodes.  She said chemo could reduce that rate by half to two thirds.  Statistically speaking, that's 4-8% vs. 16%.  Of course my recurrence risk would be higher IF the tumor ruptured, which we can never know.

So, statistics vs. a real person...  Statistically speaking J & I don't see a huge improvement in recurrence risk after chemo,  though we can't know what those risks might be if the tumor did rupture.  I would certainly be doing a lot of damage to my body by taking the chemo drugs.  Some of that damage could be permanent.

Right now we are very comfortable following a life style change that includes eating raw foods.  Some may call us irresponsible or naive, but we are confident that this is how God wants us to proceed.  This is not something new we've just heard of, but something we've been learning about for years.  If there are cancer cells present, I won't be giving them fuel to reproduce and I'll be building my body to fight them.  As the doctor said, we have to make the decision that's right for us and then don't look back or second guess ourselves.  If it's chemo, be committed to the entire course of treatment; if it's lifestyle change, do it 100%.

I will go back for more blood work and another CAT scan in September.  I will probably have blood work done every 3 months and several more CAT scans.  I'm told that if the cancer is going to come back it usually does so within 3 years.  Our lifestyle change will continue for life.  We've had the knowledge for years and we've talked it to death, now we're faced with a critical choice.  Cancer turns out to be a "health opportunity" as some have said!

I am going to call the surgeon today to see if I can have my surgery on July 27th.  I also have to determine when to get a colonoscopy:  in the hospital right before surgery or sometime before that.

Thank you all again for keeping updated, praying, and your kind words of encouragement.  The love and support from everyone has really helped our family through this.

The Doctor Visit That Wasn't

I was supposed to have an oncologist visit yesterday afternoon, but somehow it got deleted or something.  They had no appointment scheduled at all.  Now I have an appt. for the 8th.

Last week I had a PET scan and some blood work done.  Since I didn't see the oncologist yesterday they were going to have a nurse call me today with those results.  That didn't happen either and I didn't call the office until almost 4:00 and they were closed.  So, I know nothing ;)

Anyway, I'm feeling great.  I've tried many new recipes, most delicious, but some not-so-much.  I did go out to my favorite Chinese buffet last night for my birthday, but it wasn't as wonderful as it always was.  I think my tastes are changing.  I've heard that happens when you're eating raw foods for a while.

I also got to have a great conversation with a fairly new Christian lady who took my blood last week.  God just has neat blessing around every corner!

Thanks for reading and keeping up with me.  I'll post my test results when I know them.  I'll probably just wait for my visit next Wednesday.

Non doctor related news...

We had several terribly hot days, but the weather broke and yesterday and today were just perfect:  about 80 degrees and breezy!  We got to work in the garden and pull weeds in the flower bed last night.  This weekend I hope to get some mulch down.

J is trying to finish up a few cars he has to work on and then take a few weeks off from the extra work.  We have our first camping trip planned for Father's Day weekend.  I'm really looking forward to camping again!