A friend of ours who has survived her own health challenges told me that the hardest part of the process – harder than any of the actual treatments or procedures – was the waiting and the anticipation. I’m beginning to understand very clearly.
After a week of healing from a virus, getting a bone marrow biopsy (a doctor jabbing a large needle into my ass and hip bone), and swallowing some of the newest technology from Israel – a capsule-camera about the size of a large vitamin tablet, I finally got to meet again with the oncologist today for “all the results.”
Of course, he doesn’t have all the results. We’re still waiting for some specific tests on the bone marrow and on the biopsies from the endoscopy. And the capsule-cam results aren’t in yet. But we do know a few things:
Bone marrow tests so far are negative (that's a good thing), and the doctor expects the more specialized tests also will be negative. We’ll see. From the endoscopy we know that the mass is pretty much where they expected it to be. However, some lymphoma cells are present in other places in my stomach. While a bit surprising, this apparently is not unusual and does not change the treatment strategy, primarily: radiation.
Assuming the rest of the test results are consistent, the strategy remains 3 -6 weeks of daily radiation treatments. The dose of radiation they use for this type of thing is usually half of what is used for other sorts of tumors and lymphomas. So side effects should be less. If the tests show any additional significant activity, I will go on a medication called Retuxan. This is not a chemotherapy drug but a specialized protein treatment that has been around for 17 years. So side effects again are supposed to be minimal. It is administered with weekly infusions at the doctor’s office. If the capsule-cam finds more stuff in my intestine, I will have additional radiation in that area, and there may be a further medication plan depending on the specifics of what they find.
Next up, I meet with the radiation doctor on Wednesday. I’ve been handed off, and I won’t see the oncologist again for another month. It apparently takes the radiation docs several days to devise my specific treatment plan. So “all the results” should be in by the end of next week.They can assess any changes in the treatment strategy, and then I’ll be ready to “start.”
Meanwhile, I feel great physically. I’m eating a much healthier diet, full of things like kelp, seaweed, daikon, wheatgrass, spirulina, maca, tempeh, turmeric – and the occasional backslide into rocky road ice cream. My acupuncturist is filling me full of needles and Chinese herbs, and I have been the recipient of tremendous prayers and gifts of support. Last night some dear friends held a special healing ceremony for me (and Debra, who is a little under the weather herself). I felt such good will and energetic support. I know I am much more buoyant and healthful because of the wonderful efforts of such friends. Thank you all.
May the coming Shabbos give you peace and rest. And may this Yom Kippur give us all clarity, security, and strength to meet our challenges – together.
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