Tuesday, September 19, 2006

More after meetings with other docs, but news from Radiology sounds pretty good. Clinical Stage is T3 N0 M0. T3 basically means it's a pretty big area and into layers but not outside into other tissues. Good thing. N0 means it doesn't appear to have gotten into lymph nodes. M0 means it's not metastisized, ie, not spread to other organs.

Treatment is going to be radiation plus chemo. Radiation will be M-F for six weeks. Not sure about chemo specifics as yet but will be concurrent. Point of all that is to shrink and mostly eliminate tumor and cancer cells. Today's doc said radiation and chemo should get about 90-95% of it.

Then, three to six weeks after last radiation, giving time for healing, I'll go in for surgery. Almost redundant at that point but should pretty much guarantee we got it all.

Rad doc said my prognosis is really good. He said I should be able to look back in five years and say, "Yeah, I had cancer once."

Looks like I'll begin radiation on Monday. I told them I want to get this show on the road.

Incidentally, my new local buddy and I got along famously, like old friends. She's only a few years younger than I am. We enjoy each others' company. She decided to go with me for tomorrow's appointments too! Terrific deal. Wonderful good samaritan!

2 comments:

Emerald said...

And if the rads and chemo don't do it in, I will kick some c-cell ass. Really. Truly. I love you Diya. However, if you end up supermodel skinny with incredible hair that no longer needs coloring and skin that glows...I may have to revise that opinion. I am that shallow ;) ~Skya

Anonymous said...

but I'm not that shallow.

Might be jealous, though.

I have to say, though, I'm glad we're gettin' this show on the road, and we're (yes, I said we, because you have the weight of many people behind you)going to get rid of it.

And thank goodness for new friends. I'm glad you've had visible and present support, aside from all this emotional and spiritual stuff we keep tossing at ya. :)