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kacram

results from PeT Scan

16 years ago

I wrote this in an email. And I'm being lazy by just copying and pasting.. Sorry! A couple of you WILL recognize it! LOL

I feel badly posting this when we need to be sending all of our prayers for little Bradley. I was so sorry to read that news...

It isn't the best news. It is not scar tissue. The tumor is active. It's not any bigger, which is nice, the pet scan confirmed that it is .5 cm smaller... if the earlier cat scan reading was accurate. So, we aren't going to continue with these chemicals. We will be using rituxan and a new one, just approved by the FDA. One called Treenda (spelling). I hope that one works.

Instead of going in 1 day every 3 weeks. I will be going in for chemo 2 days in a row, every 4 weeks. The side effects will be a little harder than I have now (which isn't much... neuropathy, not too much nausea, and fatigue. I have pills for nausea, and fatigue? well, it's just fatigue. I DID ask if I will lose my hair with this, as I want to go get it foiled and cut and don't want to waste the money! lol he just laughed and said it's possible, but he doesn't want to foil the foil. Did I mention he has a "groaner" geeky sense of humor?

So I'll just go get it trimmed for now. lol

AND they are setting up an appointment at a highly respected cancer center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, in Seattle. He wants me to start harvesting my bone marrow and getting put in storage. He's thinking bone marrow transplant sometime... please cross your fingers that this new stuff will work! and that insurance will pay for the bone marrow harvesting and storage otherwise it won't get done. I need to figure out questions for the docs about the harvesting. I know I get a high dose of chemo and then have to drive to Seattle and have it harvested at the Hutch. it will take 1 to 3 days to do it. I sure hope my insurance pays for it.

the PetScan was from my ears to mid or lower thigh. The good news is that there is no disease anywhere else, just in this one locale. Gee, I wonder why they were to afraid to look at my brain???! LOL I can't start treatment until next Wednesday, and Thursday, they need to order the drugs. I work just part time. Mon, Tues, and Wednesdays... so I'll have to figure out my schedule for just the one week. (AND i HAVE to fly back east to Ohio to watch my son play some baseball, it's his last college year! And I can't miss Senior day either.) Hopefully I won't be too fatigued and can work the following Monday... my work is physical, walking, squatting, lifting... but should be a problem for only a week or so. I'll get THAT figured out. I need the few dollars it brings in, and since my boss passed away, his wife, Judy, well I can't leave her. she is having a hard time now.

thanks to all of you for your support.

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