Since my last post, I made the decision, with lots of prayer and thoughtful consideration, to have surgery and not have a transplant at this time. I go in this Thursday (4/30) morning to have 1/3 of my pancreas removed, along with some lymph nodes and my spleen. My time in the hospital will be about 4 days or so, depending how it all goes. While the Dr. is doing the surgery he will also take a biopsy of some of the tumors treated in my liver to see how they truly did with the last embolization treatment. I will have another PET/CT scan at the beginning of June to see how things are looking.
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A Real Conversation with my Oncologist:
A couple of weeks ago I had called my oncologist to discuss my upcoming PET/CT Scan with him. During the phone call he mentioned that after I had the surgery I might be able to join a clinical study to treat my tumors. Instantly this conversation threw me for a loop and I was completely confused. I was under the impression that my surgery and previous radiation treatments would make me considered "cancer free" for the time being. No one had actually said those words to me when discussing my treatments but that's what I just assumed. He informed me that although my last PET scan showed the tumors in my liver are dead. He said I still have cancer that's not showing up on the scans. He said no matter what treatments and surgeries I do I will always have cancer. He said that the next year will determine how aggressive my cancer is and the treatments necessary. He informed us that my liver can only handle one more round of radiation (one treatment on the left side and one treatment on the right side of my liver). He said we may need to revisit the idea of a transplant depending how things go. He's confident that when he does a MRI it will show cancer in places the PET/CT scan doesn't show. He also said that my cancer has also more than likely spread to other areas in my body and that if I did end up doing a transplant that the immunosuppressants I would be on would cause it to spread more. He said the tumors will continue to come back and grow and eventually get to a point where they can't control or treat them. This was a very real and honest conversation. I have to say I love my oncologist and although our conversations aren't always fun. I appreciate his honesty with me when I ask him questions. He's very kind and easy to talk to. This means a great deal to Josh and I.
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I continue to pray for God's healing and lots of time. I've been having more good days than bad, but I know that will flip with this up coming surgery, but hopefully only for a while. We continue to receive lots of love and support and are so very appreciative of it.
This next year will tell us a lot about my cancer, but I know God is big and He still heals!
Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
