I had 30 sutures removed from my skull by my
neurosurgeon’s NP to start our super fun day at UW Hospital and Carbone Cancer
Center today. It feels so much better to have the sutures out; they were pretty
tight at the bottom and starting to pull. Also, I’m glad that I took an oxy beforehand,
otherwise that would’ve been a bit much to sit through. As it was, I was feeling
no pain. ;)
We found out last week that the bitch tumor was a cancerous
grade 4 tumor. Today, we found out that the bitch tumor was also a
glioblastoma. Another question we got answered today was – yes, I do still have
cancer. And I will wear that scarlet C like a badge of honor. Though my
neurosurgeon was able to remove 100% of the tissue that was picking up the dye on
my MRI, the cancer cells still exist in my brain.
Onto Battle Plan: Phase 2…
In two weeks, I will have an MRI to make a map for
my radiation treatments. I will be doing 27 treatments of a special kind of
radiation that one of the UW doctors created. Of course, UW has THE guy. . The
radiation treatment I had 6 years ago was given in higher frequency/shorter
length doses. This radiation treatment will be lower frequency given over a 30
minute time frame. Our cells naturally repair themselves when exposed to
radiation in the world; this lower/longer dose allows normal brain tissue to
repair itself as it would naturally when exposed to radiation. I’m not sure if
this will have any effect on how I will feel after radiation treatments, but it
will be better for my body.
One of the pathology tests wasn’t back yet today, so
we don’t know if I will be doing pill form chemo along with the radiation or
not yet. If the bitch tumor pathology comes back as methylated, then I will also
be doing the same chemo that I did last time. My oncologist thought that the
test should be back within the week.
We don’t know and won’t know why or when the bitch
tumor started growing again. We only know that it transformed from the site of
the original tumor.
We have an uphill battle for sure, but it is one
that I refuse to lose.
Fight like hell.
No comments:
Post a Comment