Plan of Attack

Hi All,

It's been a busy but very productive day here in sunny Denver.  We left home at 07:00 and met Bobby who had surprised us by driving up last night.  He was snoozing in the hotel when I called him at 04:45 rather than being on the road.  So ... I didn't worry last night because I had no idea he was on the road, and was able to get dressed, packed, etc. without worry knowing he was safely here.  He wanted to be in on these two important appts with Dr. Chen (radiation oncologist) and Dr. Lam, the leader of the team.

At the tumor board meeting this morning, the team made recommendations and both Dr. Chen and Dr. Lam are recommending targeted radiation on the brain to begin the process.  Seems there is one more little nasty little actor that they discovered with the last MRI in the back of the brain on the right side.  So, that makes four to boot out of my theatre.  Radiation will start next week and Dr. Chen hasn't decided exactly how many bouts we'll do.  Could be anywhere from 3 to 5, but from the sounds of things I don't think it will be a really big deal.  Worst case scenerio is that I could lose the sight in my right eye eventually.  As I told Dr. Chen, though, I still have the left eye, and it's a nice eye.  There's a whole lot of people out there who live very well with one eye.  Biggest bummer is that we'll probably have to be in Denver all next week.  Small price to pay.

After a week or two of recovery from the radiation, we'll come back to meet with Dr. Lam who will start the systemic therapy.  I keep calling it chemo, but it is systemic.   Approved drug specific to kidney cancer.  Evidently, as I keep hearing more and more, kidney cancer is a very unique critter.  The therapy will be in pill form, something like 4 pills taken 4 times per day.  It has been quite successful in reducing the size of the tumors not only in the kidney but the mets, as well.  My lungs are pretty overwhelmed with tumors, a couple of them fairly good sized.  There is no way to radiate the lungs with any hope of getting them all.  The systemic therapy seems the very best way to roust them out.

Surgery to remove the kidney/primary tumor is off the table for the time being.  We'll have to see how the systemic treatment works.  If it works well, then there will probably not be a surgery.  If not, well then we'll have to reassess.

The side effects from the systemic therapy aren't all that daunting.  Biggest risk is to the heart, so we'll have to keep a close eye on blood pressure.  It could also affect the thyroid, even killing it.  Mama lived for 32 years without her thyroid, so that's no big deal.

Tomorrow morning we meet with the opthomology oncologist, have the radiation mapping done, have my staples removed at 3:00 and another MRI at 5:00.  Because we'll be here all next week, we're going to go home tomorrow night rather than trying to get to Colby and Healy.

Well, I think you're all filled in and know all we know.  Please keep those prayers coming.  With those and the help of our Lord and Savior, I'm getting well!

Love to All

L