Friday, November 2, 2007

We're Home With News

There is a lot of good news as a result of the trip to Houston. We went there for a second opinion and I am glad we made the trip, even though the opinion boils down to the same thing I heard here in Maryland.

1) Good News: I was convinced to do chemotherapy. I guess I was going to do it anyhow, but was so skeptical as to the benefit of it (and perhaps my perception was colored by my sorrow at having to wean Capt. Adorable). Now I can see that there is a benefit. The oncologist at M.D. Anderson told me that I have about a 50% + chance of the cancer coming back and the chemotherapy lowers that chance by about 15%. That seems a much different percentage than I heard before. The deal seems to be that most cancers which reoccur do so within 2 years, so my taking chemotherapy will reduce that chance.

2) Good News: The treatment recommended is not any different than that recommended by the oncologist in Maryland, so there is no benefit to traveling to Texas for treatment. This is much easier on me and on the Captains. Plus, I want to be where my friends are and where my family can be with me. And goodness knows I'd much rather sleep in my own bed than anywhere else!

3) Bad News: I am, more likely than not, going to die of cancer in less than 20 years. Considering I am 34 now, that's a big blow...

Capt. Adorable does not like flying and goodness knows what we will do when nursing is no longer an option!!! He was fine to moany for the flight there, but the flight home was terrible! It was a late flight, so he did sleep for a good while, but landing was bad...

Meanwhile, he ripped the 'a' key off my laptop, so typing is much more difficult now.

There is much more, of course, but Capt. Adorable will not let me type right now (I usually post when he's asleep) and we are leaving this afternoon, so I've got the post what I cAn now so all those of you I promised an update will get one!!!

UPDATE:

According to the "unofficial" results posted on the State Board of Bar Examiners' web site, I failed the Maryland Bar. Oh well. I thought I failed. I'll take it again next July, after chemo is over. Next time I won't have pneumonia, a broken toe, a four-month-old, or discover I have a lung tumor during the study process. So next year at this time I'll be celebrating!!!

4 comments:

Lindsay said...

I'm glad the trip to Houston was a positive one, all things considered.

I'm sorry you didn't pass the bar. But I admire you for having the balls to go through with it, even though you had such an unbelievable amount of stuff going on in your life. I know you will nail it when you take it next time. :)

*hugs*

Anonymous said...

Great that you see so much of the news as good news. Tell Captain Adorable that those socks are special anti-crying socks (and that he has a new relative... um I guess a cousin or sorts.)
much love to you all
-I suppose I will now just be *min*

Liz said...

Hello,
You sound pretty positive about the whole thing (well, most of it...) and that's great to hear. I don't have words of wisdom for you, but wanted you to know that you will find strength you did not think you had. I've taken care of lots of people fighting cancer (I'm an RN) and one lady in particular comes to mind. She had ovarian cancer, which often is lethal. By the time they found hers, it had wrapped around her bowel. She went through chemo, and I cared for her during this time, and that was 10 years ago, I still get Christmas cards from her. You're always in my thoughts! Be well! (((((hugs)))))

Liz (timneh_mom)

Gina Alsdorf said...

Don't sweat the bar. I know plenty of people who were not having medical issues that failed. I know one person who failed four times. I hope your treatment is going well.