First Radiation Session

This was something new today. I'm doing IMRT which is kindof like a crude cyberknife. Instead of 2 or 3 long blasts, they do a series of short blasts from one position, shifting the plates in the machine each time. Then on to position 2 for another series of short bursts. A total of 6 short burst sessions. Total time on the table is something like 20 minutes. The position I'm in is not very comfortable, but it's tolerable.

I won't finish radiation until July 15th so my planned trip to Kodiak isn't going to happen. I would imagine I'll also start chemo pretty quickly once the radiation is done. I gues I should call the oncologist to let him know the end date. Maybe I'll wait until I've got the results of my MRI scheduled on the 18th.

I should add that my hip has not been bothering me lately like it had been. I've been using the cane when I have to go any distance. So unless the radiation ramps up the pain, I'm doing OK for now.

Radiologist appointment: Good news/Bad news

I saw my radiologist today to discuss treatment. Sounds like the location of the growth is in a bit different spot... more in the bony ring at the base of my left hip. Those are thin flexible bones designed to flex when you walk. As such, they are more delicate to treat but it is treatable with radiation. He believes the treatment will again stop the growth. The bad news is that I am likely to have chronic pain there for the rest of my life. Unlike the last treatment when the pain was alleviated by the radiation, it likely won't get any better. He was ready to sign a form for a permanent disabled parking permit, which took me aback a bit. He also thought about sending me for cyberknife treatment, but thought better of it. Most likely because he didn't think insurance would approve when regular radiation would do the same job.

So... treatment planning session on Friday, a week to put a plan together and radiation will commence about June 7th. This will be a lower/slower treatment, so it will be drawn out over 5 weeks, unlike the 3 weeks I did last time. He also thought there would be minimal side effects, just like last time. Another tidbit of good news.

Latest CT Scan results -- Back to treatment I go

I was really expecting this, this time, but that doesn't make it any easier to actually hear it. For a full 14 months after finishing radiation to my hip I'd had no pain in my hip/groin at all. In February I pushed a big stack of carts at Costco into a holding bin and that evening started feeling that old ache in my groin. It got better after a while and when I had my March check-up the oncologist really felt around the groin area throroughly and didn't feel anything. Things kept feeling better until mid April when I really overdid it one weekend and my hip/groin got really sore again. It didn't really get any better and then it started getting kindof achy on top of that. I was scheduled to return for a regular check-up in June, but the persistent discomfort that was so similar to how it felt in November 2008 led me to call them up early for an early CT Scan. I had that done yesterday... got the results this morning.

The tumor in my hip is growing again. Apparently there's one in my right groin that has also grown a half centimeter, but I have no symptoms from that. My spleen is still stable and there is no new growth so that's all positive news. But I'm getting referred back for more radiation to the hip and will also get back on chemo once I finish the radiation. I'll be doing the taxol/carboplatin regimine again initially. If that doesn't work as well this time, he'll switch to another type. But I'll lose my hair either way. It'll be different being bald in the summer. Could be interesting. I'm considering dying my hair blue again right before it falls out. :)

Latest CT Scan Results

I went in last Friday for a CT Scan of my pelvic, abdomen and chest areas. Unfortunately my radiologist has switched contrast agents from one that's like a distasteful Koolaid to a "creamy vanilla smoothie". That stuff was YUCK. Gave me a gut ache in no time and was thick and rich.

Anyway, my oncologist follow-up wasn't until this morning. I started having dreams about being told it was in my lungs now, etc. But instead, the news is pretty good. I haven't had further improvement, but the doc described the disease as "rock solid stable." He'd like to see what is going on with the tumor in head, but if that is also stable, he might move the CT scans to every 6 months. I am due for an MRI next month. I don't see the oncologist again until March.

Yay! Another big sigh of relief... and Merry Christmas to me! This will be a big change from last year which was a pretty miserable Christmas. :)


Update

Not really new information, but I had forgotten to mention something when I wrote the original post. I have been following a hysterectomy/cancer forum for 6 years from my first diagnosis in 2003. When I had my recurrance last November another forum member was also diagnosed with a uterine cancer recurrance. I felt a kinship to her and followed her progress as we went along figuring that we'd eventually be doing some of the same kinds of treatments. Just as I was starting to get particularly anxious about my own upcoming scan results I checked into the forum and found out she had died in October. That's kindof thrown me for a loop.

Anniversary

It was a year ago today that I went in for a CT Scan and found out my cancer was back. A year ago I really didn't think I'd be around now, let alone feeling reasonably good. I didn't know if I'd see my next birthday in March or make my niece's wedding in August. After the first miserable 4 months of treatment and a couple months of recovery, I feel I've had a very good year. I've been to Yellowstone for the first time, made several trips to the Washington/Oregon Coasts, enjoyed a summer of beautiful weather in Seattle, watched my niece get married in southern Oregon, spent time with family, gone to Disneyland and treated myself to a night at the Salish Lodge. I'm going to Arizona for Thankgiving to get a little sunshine and warm weather... and spend more time with family. I feel blessed to have had the last six months.

I'm still feeling pretty good though my hip has been a bit achier lately than it has been. It also seems like the bump on the side of my head from my tumor is a bit bigger. Maybe it psychological, knowing that I have another CT scan coming up in about 3 weeks, and this being the anniversary of my re-diagnosis, I'm really thinking alot that maybe my treatment break is coming to an end. I want to keep planning trips to look forward to, but I think I should wait for the results of the December scan. If my break continues, I'll definately be thinking of more trips to make in the coming months. If I have to go back into treatment, I'll buckle down and get it done, one day at a a time.

Another visit with the oncologist

This was a fairly quick visit. I had a pelvic exam and everything seems fine. He's encouraged by no new symptoms and I'm feeling fine still. So I'll have another CT Scan December 4th then I need to schedule a follow-up with him the following week. I had a blood draw for the CA-125 level and I asked if that was elevated if he would bring me back earlier. He said it would have to be VERY elevated before they would do that. He also mentioned that there are a couple new clinical trials that we could try when the times comes to get back into treatment. All in all another encouraging visit.

I forgot to ask if I should be getting an H1N1 flu shot.

By the way, the Disneyland visit last week went very well. I thought my energy stayed up pretty well (although my traveling companions might differ) and I had a great time. The park was pretty crowded Friday, Saturday and Sunday with lots of locals there to check out the special Halloween decorations, rides and fireworks. We had to cut out early because we couldn't take crowds like that. Here's a picture of Darcy and I enjoying one of my favorite Disneyland treats -- Mickey beignets!

MRI today: more pretty good news

I had an MRI this morning at 7:30. I prefer the evening MRIs where I can take a couple ativan and go home and relax post exam. I didn't get my ear plugs in properly so the sound wasn't as muffled as I would have liked and it seemed like this one took longer. I survived though, then had to get through the day at work until I could go get my results this afternoon.

So I got to the Cyberdoc's and her staff was really perky and telling me to relax. Probably didn't mean anything, but I took it as a good sign. When the doc came in she said everything is exactly where it was back in April when I finished the regular radiation. She said because it's a slow growing cancer it may take a while to see results. It may also be that the bone never shrinks down so that it always looks to be the same size. But as long as it's not growing, which it is not, we're good.

So she put me on an MRI every 4 months schedule "for the next 2 years", then every 6 months for 3 years. She actually said after 5 years, we'd go once a year. I laughed at that because I don't seriously think this will stay dormant for that length of time. But I guess you never really know and that's the first time someone has said something that positive to me in a very long time. :)

She also gave me a sheet from my treatment plan that shows the radiation shots and the tumor from many different angles on the MRI scans. If I can get it scanned, I'll try to post it. Looking at the shots makes me want to name the sucker. "Timmy Tumor"? Any other suggestions? Maybe if you can see it, we can come up with a good name...


Addendum: Here's the MRI pic. You can tell the orientation you're looking at by looking at the little blue head in the lower left corner of each shot. I think I like the name "eye-gor" for a name. :)

Ooops... still have to work on that photo. It's in bmp format right now. Might have to change it to jpg.

Hopefully this works...