Monday, June 3, 2019

The big update

Today I met with the surgical and radiation oncologists at UCLA medical center. The good news is that the prognosis is better than what I had been expecting. After about six weeks weeks of radiation, augmented by chemotherapy, they expect to get rid of all the cancer. (Surgery is not an option in my case.)

I’ll meet with the medical oncologist (the chemo doctor) on Thursday and also get my radiation mask made. Treatment will begin next week.

The only unknown is how much agony I will or won’t need to endure. Everyone reacts differently. I don’t expect it to be carefree, what with them attacking my tongue and throat. Eating will probably become more difficult than it is already, but, to balance that out, they predict the tracheostomy could be removed part way through treatment. That would be a huge annoyance and inconvenience lifted.
The team also includes a nutritionist, a dentist, and a swallowing & speech therapist.

Information was coming fast, so it was wonderful to have Ceebs with me to keep things documented and organized. She says not to trouble my mind about the logistics of all this, to just concentrate on rest and recovery. I can do that.

So, how long will I need to stay in Los Angeles? There are periodic checkups after the the radiation and chemotherapy, but I hope to be in good enough shape to do some wandering in between. The important thing is that if they’re correct with their prognosis, I eventually will be back on the road.

14 comments:

  1. That sounds like good news, Al. Glad to hear it.

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  2. What a wonderful ray of sunshine that news is!
    Thank you for sharing your good news Al.

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  3. Excellent news! It's also been good to see you still being you on here.

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  4. Yes, sir! That all sounds better. We've been hoping for something like that and you appear to have top-notch people on your team all the way around. That's great!

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    1. Yes, UCLA has some of the top medical people in the country.

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  5. My radiation treatments (20) for stage one prostate starts next Monday.

    I will be staying at a communal house on the campus of the medical center (Mon-Thurs) which is 50+ miles from my residence.

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    1. Best wishes for you and your prostate.

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    2. And the best for you too sir. In the spring of 2014 I blew my back out and started to follow yourself and Mr Bob crvl. I have been keeping my crass comments in check lately her for the benefit of all. LOL

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  6. Good news! Hope it all goes well and you're one of the ones that has a milder reaction to the treatments.

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  7. HHUUURRRRRAYYYYY!!!!! cried the children. (excerpted w/o permission from Dav Pilkey's *Captain Underpants.*)

    https://pilkey.com/

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  8. To be given the news that your beloved lifestyle can still be yours after a short while longer, that is astonishing news indeed. You soon will be joining that happy group known as "cancer survivors".

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