I originally had an appointment next week (Friday the 25th) with a second oncologist at El Camino Hospital. Yesterday at about 1:00 I got a call that there was a cancellation at 3:00 and I could come in early if I wanted to. So, I hurriedly finished collecting and compiling my records and then Dave and I rushed up there with a small booklet. I think the receptionist was impressed (astonished... amazed...) at the amount of records that I had possession of but was not at all surprised that they were all organized and easy to put into a chart.
So, we met with this 2nd oncologist yesterday and I'm sure we spent more than our allotted time with him. But he never made us feel rushed. He answered all of our questions and thoroughly outlined the course of action that he would recommend. And it goes like this:
1. Since it's been a nice length of time since my last tumor, he'd biopsy the mass to make sure it's still colon cancer and not some other form of cancer such as lymphoma. If it was something else then the treatment would be different.
2. He'd have a urologist place a stent in the partially blocked ureter to decompress the kidney. Right now my kidney is enlarged because it's a bit backed up.
3. Then I would have 12 rounds of chemotherapy. He would choose to give me all of the drugs I've had before. All 4 of them. We would substitute Xeloda pills in place of the 48-hour pump. I've just about had enough of the pump. For the record, he's never given anyone all of the drugs before. He said my case is unique. The other oncologist said I am "interesting". I didn't realize I am so different.
4. After the chemotherapy was finished he would then deal with removing the mass by using radiation or possibly the new Cyberknife. I think he's afraid that if he removes the mass first more will pop up. Plus if he leaves it in place he has something that he can keep an eye on to see if the chemotherapy's being effective.
So, that's his plan. We will still go up to Stanford next Wednesday to meet with the GI tumor board and there a team will come to a consensus and will tell me what they recommend. Then we will start making decisions. I think I will choose to have my treatments up at El Camino no matter what. The infusion area is so much more comfortable and private than where I've been going. Everyone was so nice up there. If only Dr. Chen worked up there because I have no problem with her. But if the treatment's the same then I will choose to go where I'm most comfortable.
So, we met with this 2nd oncologist yesterday and I'm sure we spent more than our allotted time with him. But he never made us feel rushed. He answered all of our questions and thoroughly outlined the course of action that he would recommend. And it goes like this:
1. Since it's been a nice length of time since my last tumor, he'd biopsy the mass to make sure it's still colon cancer and not some other form of cancer such as lymphoma. If it was something else then the treatment would be different.
2. He'd have a urologist place a stent in the partially blocked ureter to decompress the kidney. Right now my kidney is enlarged because it's a bit backed up.
3. Then I would have 12 rounds of chemotherapy. He would choose to give me all of the drugs I've had before. All 4 of them. We would substitute Xeloda pills in place of the 48-hour pump. I've just about had enough of the pump. For the record, he's never given anyone all of the drugs before. He said my case is unique. The other oncologist said I am "interesting". I didn't realize I am so different.
4. After the chemotherapy was finished he would then deal with removing the mass by using radiation or possibly the new Cyberknife. I think he's afraid that if he removes the mass first more will pop up. Plus if he leaves it in place he has something that he can keep an eye on to see if the chemotherapy's being effective.
So, that's his plan. We will still go up to Stanford next Wednesday to meet with the GI tumor board and there a team will come to a consensus and will tell me what they recommend. Then we will start making decisions. I think I will choose to have my treatments up at El Camino no matter what. The infusion area is so much more comfortable and private than where I've been going. Everyone was so nice up there. If only Dr. Chen worked up there because I have no problem with her. But if the treatment's the same then I will choose to go where I'm most comfortable.
