Perhaps More Surgery

Now that I've achieved stabilization (my cancer is not growing), I am eager to get more aggressive. In the past, the tumor board at NCI said that they thought I'd be a good candidate for surgery (VATS, not giant incision surgery like last time). But the JHH tumor board said no. So, here I am after 3 months off chemo (though I am back on now, as you know), with no new nodules in a year and no growth for 6 months. Let's cut the shit out. I asked my JHH oncologist about surgery or ablation but because the JHH tumor board said no, her only option was to ask about ablation. Unfortunately, the radiologist who performed my last one (that went so well and is officially being called dead) has been away and has not responded to her questions.

However, I went to NCI last week on Tuesday and the oncologists got all excited. They promised to discuss me at the tumor board and now, much to my extreme excitement, I have an appointment with a surgeon next week on Wednesday!!! I also have a PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) scheduled for Friday! NCI has asked for the original CT scan--the pre-surgery CT scan. I was stressed because I thought it would be a big struggle to get that scan out of JHH but Captain Obvious remembered that a couple of months ago we got a big package in the mail, which contained my CT films (no one thought I had cancer then, so the CT was not the super-excellent quality that the ones I get now are). He found the films, still upstairs, despite our recent house-clearing to get the house ready for the market. Fabulous! I am taking them to NCI next week.

So, surgery...scary stuff...lots of questions for the surgeon. Goodness knows I do not want to have surgery and come home to a house full of half-unpacked boxes...or to an extended stay hotel...I want to come home to home, with my mommy in a nice guest room to take care of me and Captain Adorable for a few days till I get back on my feet.

And here we are, right in the middle of selling our house to a group of buyers who all have to settle by Nov. 30. Scary, scary stuff. Good scary, but still concerning. I am sure we will figure something out--there are lots of options. Just a bit daunting right now.