OK, here is the deal. Once cancer has spread to the bones, it is incurable. But it can be controlled so that it will either shrink or just stop where it is. The idea of regular chemo is to kill fast growing cells to try and cure the cancer. Most of my cancer cells are considered to be dormant, so chemo won’t do anything except cause problems with my normally growing cells. Radiation also is considered a tool to cure and can only affect cells in the path of the radiation. The assumption is that there are dormant cell everywhere and they can’t do full body radiation without making me really sick and causing more cancer, so radiation is not in the running, unless it is needed to shrink any specific tumors in my bone that are causing pain or breaks in the bone.
So the treatment is a once monthly infusion of Zometa (http://www.chemocare.com/bio/zometa.asp), which I had my first dose yesterday after my doctor's appointment, and a daily Aromasin tablet (http://www.chemocare.com/bio/aromasin.asp). Not as bad as I expected. We’ll leave my little chest lump alone as it can be a good indicator if the treatment is shrinking the tumors.
Just in case you are wondering, this is the same situation that Elizabeth Edwards is in (except her’s came back sooner than mine and thus is more aggressive) and according to People Magazine, she is being treated by my very same oncologist! So that is my six degrees of separation with President Obama! Of course I volunteered at the local Obama campaign office with the woman who introduced Mrs. Obama when she spoke here in Jacksonville so it is even closer there!
It is too quiet here today as all three dogs are at the groomer’s getting beautified. The kitten is locked up and Tipper is asleep in our bed. This afternoon I am going to have an acupuncture treatment (you’d think I’ve had enough of needles and getting pocked in the back….) by my family doctor. So, after many, many trips on my out of control roller coaster, I think I’m either at the station, or at least on a nice calm piece of track.
My dear friend and partner in crime, Jean:
ReplyDeleteWe, too, have a wonderful cancer treatement center in Utah. It's the Huntsman Cancer Institue; as in John Huntsman, the new ambassador to China. My step-father spent many days there receiving infusions for leukemia. My step mother is going through the same thing as you. Her main problem (other than the fact that following her mastectomy, she has new cancers on her chest and liver) is that she lives in Truth or Consequences, NM. She has to drive all the way to Las Cruses for treatment. It's highly doubtful that their hospital is up on the latest cures and interventions. I love you, Jean, and I think of you often. (((jean)))
Your friend for life,
Sunny