Cancer update first

You know how it is when you're a young healthy person and it seems like every old person you come into contact with feels a need to torture you with and update on his hemorrhoids, or arthritis, or ingrown toenail? I mean, who cares? I'm boring myself silly.

But I do know that there are those who care and really want to hear the detail, and I've made a bit of a promise to keep distant family updated, too. So I will separate the clinical updates and you can skip over them or not. Really, it doesn't hurt my feelings if you don't want to know about this part.

Last week was my "off" week for Xeloda so I scheduled to go in on Thursday for bloodwork and a visit with the Nurse practitioner, Machelle, since the oncologist was out of town at a conference. My breathing issues have actually been getting worse, as has my chronic pain around my ribcage. So, even though the bloodwork cleared me for starting a new Xeloda cycle, Machelle wanted me to confer with the radiation oncologist Dr. Mackliss, about the superior vena cava syndrome. Maybe you remember that I had treatment to these blocked veins in August by angioplasty, but the relief - what little there was - only lasted a couple of days. The plan back in August was for me to consult with the vascular surgeon AND Dr. Mackliss before deciding on treatment, but Dr. Macliss was on vacation. When I mentioned to Machelle on Thursday that i never had had a radiation consult about it, she wanted to get one in between cycles. So, quick scheduled a CT scan within the hour, and a followup with Dr. Mackliss and Dr. Moore (radiation and medical and radiation oncologists) on Tuesday. Confused yet????

So, my appt. on Tuesday happened to have me see Dr. Moore (she's the team captain, as it were) before Dr. Mackliss. Dr. Moore, never to be confused with PollyAnna, is concerned that this means the cancer has become chemo-resistant. So, no more Xeloda. At least one bright lining. I expected this would happen, but hope for not so soon. She sent me off to see Dr. Mackliss and hear if he thinks there's a benefit to radiating the enlarged hilar nodes that are associated with the SVC syndrome. Dr. Mackliss was behind schedule, and uncharacteristically brief. 50-50 chances of some benefit, but also 5-10 chance it could harm healthy lung tissues (and there's not very much of that left). Greg and I couldn't make that decision on the spot, but he's out of town next week at a conference. He said he would schedule a simulation appointment and I could keep it or not. This was on Tuesday. On Wednesday I emailed Dr. Moore asking for her advice (forgot that this was her day off), but by seven pm I hadn't heard anything. Greg and I decided to forego the radiation and go straight to strong chemo, one more time...... and blow off the appointment. Within twenty minutes I got an email, she recommends radiation, thinks it has a better chance for quick relief for the SVC and breathing issues. So, back on. I will start daily radiation on Nov. 3, for ten days. Then a week break to heal (Yeah, not much!) then on to chemo avastin and abraxane. The hope is that my vein will open, my head will drain, and I won't have a chipmunk face, or, as I was comparing Baby Sidney and me, using Nathan description the day Justin was born, "fluffy cheeks." I do have me some fluffy cheeks.

So that's it. Don't ask me again because I'm bored to tears.