In the weeks leading up to this meeting with my Oncologist I kept running over the same thought. If the scan results aren’t positive I’m going to ask to be taken off the chemo. It’s just too hard on the body and quality of life is a daily grind.
The body is under attack from within and the side effects are numerous. Skin, throat, lungs, mouth, joints, head aches, fatigue etc. All the side effects I’ve experienced in the past are present with this specific chemotherapy.
When Tracey and I sat with Dr. R today to discuss my challenges we went through the usual list of ailments, we discussed an upcoming speech Tracey and I are giving to 80 Doctors up in Edmonton, we looked at my throat, we discussed a reduction in the steroids and decided I no longer have to go weekly to the lab for blood analysis. My next scan will be in eight weeks and I will see the Oncologist in four.
Then we discussed the scan. It’s always a build up to this moment and usually it’s a mixed bag of good and bad news.
But not this time.
I think for the first time my scan shows no new growth, and every tumour has been reduced, with the most problematic tumour (pancreas) being reduced the most.
Lungs:
Lower Right lobe now 9cm was 1.1 cm.
Left upper lobe one is now .6 cm was .7cm, the other is now .3 was .5cm
Liver:
Now 2.5x1.5cm was 3.6x2.5cm
Pancreas:
Now 4.3x3.7 was 5.8x5.3cm
Peritoneum:
Lower left quadrant is 2.4x3.8 was 3.6x5.6cm
Central pelvis is 1.1x1.3 was 1.3x2.1cm
Central pelvis adjacent to seminal vesicles is 1.3x2.2 was 1.8x2.9cm
Left iliac fossa is 1.4x1.7 was 1.7x2.3cm
And nothing new, which is new.
So, after two months of whining to myself about how challenging this chemo is I can finally say it’s worth it. And now that I have the proof of success I cannot help but believe my mind will be a bit more accepting of the burden of this treatment.
I will start trying to build a better friendship with the world’s driest nose that somehow always runs. I’ll better accept the spotted belly and back due to the itchiest of rashes. I will imagine what the food used to taste like before the chemo took away my taste buds and replaced them with razor blades. And I will sign up as a senior citizen model now that my hair is going silver again.
The Cabozantinib is my friend and I’m going to give higher high fives to it when I swallow the chemo pills! I try and thank the pill every time I swallow one, but from now on I’m going to really give it thanks. And a higher five, a bigger back slap and an enthusiastic ‘go gettem kid!’
Kinda nice getting all good news. I could get used to this. Now all I have to do is get used to the side effects.