The Plan

It has been a little over 2 weeks since my surgery.  I am feeling pretty good actually.  I have been healing very well and getting lots of rest.  Today I went to my surgeon for a follow-up check up and he seemed pleased with my progress and thought it all went very well.
Once again I want to thank you all for your prayers and love.  I feel very bolstered by you and I so appreciate it.

So now on to step 2. 

Yesterday I had a visit with my oncologist doctor Mary Stewart.  She reviewed my increasingly large medical file and asked Dave and I questions about my surgery and the journey I had taken to our discovering that I had cancer.    She listened attentively and was very nice to talk to . 
She then proceeded to educate us on what was going on in my colon by drawing some pictures and explaining the development of cancerous cells.     

First .. my liver is NED .. which is what everyone wants.   It stands for No Evidence of Disease.  She carefully explained that it does not mean that there is no cancer left in my liver.. they just can not see any with all their different ways of testing.   The treatment that I will get should mop up any rogue teeny tiny cancer cells that may still be around.
  
My colon has the 3 active Nodes and 17 potentially active ones if left untreated.   She believes that chemo will be the best way to combat them.  The plan she told us is a standard Colon Cancer Treatment and has been used for about 3 years now.  Up to date for 2013.
The treatment that she has prescribed for me is as follows:

Two things will happen during this next week.  One -I will have a port put in by my surgeon within the next week.   And 2- I will be tutored further by her assistant on Friday about the medicine they will be giving me, the possible side effects and the procedure that we will following in detail.  

Then I will be ready to go to their big room with all the lazy boy chairs.

This treatment is called  m FolFox 6

It will be a series of 12 two week rotations.  So roughly 6 months.
Each 2 week session will include the following:
Day one.. come into the office .. get a blood test to make sure I am at optimum health.
Then proceed to the lazy boy room.  There my port will be hooked up to the series of medicines that will be infused into me.
Folinic acid
leukovorin     .. for about 2 hours

5 Flourouracvil
5FU    .. will be administered but I will be going home with a little container that will continue to be infused for a total of about 46 hours

Oxaliplatin .. for about 2 hours

So.. about 5 hours in the office... another couple of days of the portable infusion.. then 11 days off. 

Then repeat.  12 times..

She said this particular treatment does not take away much of your hair, little or no nausea, and my immune system should stay fairly strong.

My first question was.. can I still travel?  She said yes you can.  I decided I really like this doctor.  =)  It will be a bit complicated and details have to be worked out to receive treatment in other places,  but if all goes as planned I do not have to miss Bethany's college graduation.. or hanging out with Kimberly and her new baby son!    And if everything goes really really well.. then I should be off this part of my treatments by Melynn's baptism in August.  =)

I did get a little upset today when I received a phone call telling me that I should set up another appointment with my colonoscopy doctor .. a virutal colonscopy or CT before the series begins too.  From my understanding of yesterday I thought we were not going to have to do that till after all the treatments were finished... . but apparently the 2 doctors (Doc Stewart and Doc Sahagun) spoke and decided I should have one before it all began.   Well I realized that I had a lot of resentment to wrestle with as this Doc Sahagun was the one who wanted to rush me into surgery before Christmas, without me really understanding anything about what was going on with my body.. and made it quite clear that he did not believe that I should be traveling etc...  So I have taken a deep breath.. yes I have questions to what this is all about.. but he is a good doctor.. maybe a bit too enthusiastic but it will be fine.  What is a CT compared to all the other fun stuff I get to do?  (I will insist on a bit better cleaner outer.. I have heard of lots of alternatives and I hope to use one)  =) 

I love phone calls, notes, and visits so please do hesitate to contact me.  I will also do my best to let you know the ups and downs of the next 6 months. and hopefully all of me will be NED.  =)



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