Great news - no brain metastasis
Great news - the MRI showed no evidence of any metastasis to the brain.!!!!
I'll have to admit it - the words metastasis to the brain are ones I've had trouble thinking, let alone saying, this past couple weeks.
It's back to the plan we seem to be walking through - praying that God is doing the leading.
I'm sitting in an IV chair right now, getting 100 grams of High Dose vitamin C and 800 mg of Mistletoe.
I'm researching chronomodulated chemotherapy, which is a system by which chemo drugs are given according to an individual's circadian rhythm. The downside...I have to go to Chicago for 5 days every 3 weeks - for 10 months, to get it. It's a bit scary to be flying, especially right now with the flu and coronavirus freaking everyone out. And it's expensive and I get really emotional as I think about spending gobs of money like we have. But...I am finding good science that says it really does decrease the toxicity of chemo drugs while making them more effective - significantly.
When I was diagnosed, I found data that showed the life expectancy of a person with AITL was 19 - 30 months, with full treatment. I found YouTube videos of doctors stating that the prognosis was "dismal." The specialist at City of Hope gave us hope, if we jumped into treatment very soon. City of Hope also asserted that the cancer was doubling every 34 days - which can't possibly be true as we look at it 3 years later. There are people that make it through treatment, the bone marrow transplant, and stay in remission. Since I'm young and healthy, my chances might be good.
But then...there have been others in and out of oncology, who have warned that the treatment itself could destroy my health - for good. These are the thoughts that haunt me right now and are why I am considering going across the country for treatment when there are treatment centers everywhere.
As I'm sure I've written before, we go to Seattle March 11 to see a specialist. I will consult with the Colorado T-Cell person March 16. Then we will prayerfully make a decision of when, if, where, and how to start chemo.
I hold onto the idea that I will feel good enough again to form dreams and goals. I think about wanting to be physically fit and active and having fun doing physical things. Right now, it's like I am pushing my body to keep up with the basics of living and it's wearing on me. I am exhausted trying to work full-time, even though I'm a shadow of the counselor-coordinator I once was. I have to keep my eyes focused on the present or it can all freak me out pretty good.
I guess that is the lesson - focus on the present, enjoy it as it is, leave the rest to God. xoxo
I'll have to admit it - the words metastasis to the brain are ones I've had trouble thinking, let alone saying, this past couple weeks.
It's back to the plan we seem to be walking through - praying that God is doing the leading.
I'm sitting in an IV chair right now, getting 100 grams of High Dose vitamin C and 800 mg of Mistletoe.
I'm researching chronomodulated chemotherapy, which is a system by which chemo drugs are given according to an individual's circadian rhythm. The downside...I have to go to Chicago for 5 days every 3 weeks - for 10 months, to get it. It's a bit scary to be flying, especially right now with the flu and coronavirus freaking everyone out. And it's expensive and I get really emotional as I think about spending gobs of money like we have. But...I am finding good science that says it really does decrease the toxicity of chemo drugs while making them more effective - significantly.
When I was diagnosed, I found data that showed the life expectancy of a person with AITL was 19 - 30 months, with full treatment. I found YouTube videos of doctors stating that the prognosis was "dismal." The specialist at City of Hope gave us hope, if we jumped into treatment very soon. City of Hope also asserted that the cancer was doubling every 34 days - which can't possibly be true as we look at it 3 years later. There are people that make it through treatment, the bone marrow transplant, and stay in remission. Since I'm young and healthy, my chances might be good.
But then...there have been others in and out of oncology, who have warned that the treatment itself could destroy my health - for good. These are the thoughts that haunt me right now and are why I am considering going across the country for treatment when there are treatment centers everywhere.
As I'm sure I've written before, we go to Seattle March 11 to see a specialist. I will consult with the Colorado T-Cell person March 16. Then we will prayerfully make a decision of when, if, where, and how to start chemo.
I hold onto the idea that I will feel good enough again to form dreams and goals. I think about wanting to be physically fit and active and having fun doing physical things. Right now, it's like I am pushing my body to keep up with the basics of living and it's wearing on me. I am exhausted trying to work full-time, even though I'm a shadow of the counselor-coordinator I once was. I have to keep my eyes focused on the present or it can all freak me out pretty good.
I guess that is the lesson - focus on the present, enjoy it as it is, leave the rest to God. xoxo
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