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Today was a busy day, doctor wise. This morning I met with an oncologist from the University of Pennsylvania for a second opinion. In the afternoon I met with a neurologist about the tumors in my brain.
The consensus of the two is I should have the radiation therapy on my head. They both feel it is better to do it now while the tumors are very small (less than 1.2cm). I will admit to feeling a bit discouraged at this news, but those who fail to admit reality wind up being bitten by it.
It turns out that chemotherapy treatment is typically once a week or once every three weeks. I am on the three-week rotation. When on the three week rotation, they give you a bigger hit with each treatment versus if you are on a one week rotation.
I asked him how they decided how much to give you. He said it is based on body surface area. The take my weight and height and decided how hard to hit me. I reminded him that calculation assumes everyone has the same percent body fat and that is not an accurate assumption. He just shrugged his shoulders at this and just said that’s what they do.
He confirmed the diagnosis and the treatment. He also confirmed that I am in serious trouble here.
I’m finding that once oncologists get my diagnosis and find our I NEVER smoked, they start asking questions like, did I work around smokers? They seem to have a paradigm that if one gets lung cancer; it MUST have come from cigarette smoke. Although there is some part of me that wonders what caused this, it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is what my best course of action is.
Posted by The Vorlon at October 24, 2005 5:25 PMHey Bro,
Just yesterday I received the latest copy of Woman's Day magazine. I was looking through it this morning during breakfast, and lo & behold, there is an article about a woman who was diagosed with lung cancer. She pointed out quite clearly, that she too, was a non-smoker, never was around smokers, etc. It is a very brief article, but points out that lung cancer unlike other cancers, doesn't have any symptoms until the cancer has a good establishment in the body. She had radical surgery where they completely removed her left lung. They told her that all the cancer was removed. And I think at present she is 1 year post surgery and doing well. Her main issue was the number of people who didn't believe her when she said she never smoked.
I agree with you, that it is a mute point whether you smoked or not, the issue is you've got it & it has to go.
Remeber we're sending prayers up at warp speed for you!
Love, Kathy
Posted by: KATHY at October 25, 2005 9:28 AMThank you. That's a little part of my frustration is that I see know way I could have detected this earlier.
Posted by: Ted at October 25, 2005 8:17 PM