It’s no wonder I feel like an emotional yo-yo these days.
The latest “good news” is that the second biopsy of the peritoneal area also came back negative, so that is a definite thing and Ricardo says there’s no way it could be a false negative. On the other hand, the CT scan showed two spots in the area that could be tumours. Meanwhile, it also showed – are you ready? – that my liver tumours have seemingly disappeared! Like – WTF?
Ricardo is at a loss to explain any of this, especially as he got this information for me by telephone and didn’t see the results himself. But there will be a clinical session on Wednesday morning which Isabel (from The Team) will attend and he says they will be able to give me a better idea of what’s going on after that. Though I was told I shouldn’t be surprised if they want me to have another PET scan, and so I’m not going to believe the other tumours are gone until that’s done.
Zoomer was here when I got the phone call from Ricardo (Nog was out teaching) and he immediately gave me a big bear hug and was smiling ear to ear … but although I was very pleased about some of the news, I didn’t want to get overly-excited about it. Been there. It’s worse when you aren’t acknowledging the worst still might just happen.
Other good news of the day. I got a lovely and totally unexpected ‘goody bag’ from Lizzie in the post today. Trashy mags, tea, organic chocolate, lip balm, Bach flower rescue remedy, body scrub and special soap, and a whack of info (including a dvd) from the Penny Brohn Cancer Centre. And I also got a notice that the Anti-Cancer book from hmh is waiting for me at the post office. All this after a very nice lunch out with zoomer, Nog and Pipocas – and Dr A even stopped by to meet everyone.
I’m very happy. It was a fabulous day.
~ image from snore & guzzle ~
casa azahar 
Well, az…. Yo-yo is right!
Hopefully, the clinical session will illuminate the situation. I feel like I am watching a very long episode of House.
My question is…. is a bear-hug from Zoomer as bear-huggy as I am thinking it must be? I did tell him “many and often”. Hold him to it!
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Interesting, isn’t it, how we use fun games etc. to express these really awkward, negative/positive ups and downs…a rollercoaster, a yo-yo, bittersweet (hmm….I think I need some chocolate!).
Fingers crossed for you, darlin’.
Lori
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i dont know where u are getting ur strength from to handle all this, but keep it up!! we’re continuing to pray for u on this side of the puddle.
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Ridiculous, the whole bloody thing. Have the PET scan, and maybe even get another opinion. However, I must say you sound way too healthy to have all the crap the oncologist thought you did. I just hope that’s true.
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what an emotional rollercoaster…I sure hope the good news continues!
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I had a dream that House was my doctor, Anneke. Unfortunately, he was telling me that I was going to die. Pipocas wanted to know why I didn’t have sex with him.
And yes, zoomer is very cuddly. 🙂
I have some fabulous organic chocolate covered brazil nuts here, Lori (thanks to Lizzie). Want some?
The strength comes from all sorts of places, DKL, but mostly from all you guys and my friends here in Sevilla. Keep up the good work!
I do seem healthy, Silverstar. Other than the initial ‘gas pains’ before the colon op, the only times I’ve felt bad were when I was recovering from surgery or going through chemo. Then again, a lot of cancer is asymptomatic until it’s too late.
Yep, hoping for the best while trying to stay prepared for the worst, mister anchovy. I was totally unprepared for that last oncology visit when I was told the cancer was no longer treatable. And I really really hope she was wrong, but I won’t believe it until I hear it from The Team.
As for getting a second opinioin, I’m actually at the best oncology unit in all of Andalucía. And having The Team on my side helps me feel like I’m getting the best possible treatment here. Now if they could just do something about the crappy oncologists. . .
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Yaay!
Brilliant news :hug:
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Hmm, tumours that the surgeon saw physically are still there I would warrant.
Still apart from that cheery observation (sorry) – really good news I think 🙂
Things are certainly sounding a lot better than they did a couple of weeks back anyway.
Enjoyed the cat bowling. Thinking of doing that for real with out little blighters next time they ruin one of our houselplants 😉
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I totally disagree with Orcus. Tumors that the surgeon saw physically could very well have been dismantled and carted off by your recovering immune system. You would not be the first person who had this happen, and I prefer to hold to that image rather than clinging to one that is inherently NEGATIVE.
Cautiously optimistic Snoopy dance over here until the PET scan.
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wow. tumors disappearing… that is some news that sure sends my feelings of hope skyrocketing for my niece!
I like HMH’s image of your immune system taking apart the cancer cells and carrying them off to be disposed of.
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My mother’s aunt… or aunt’s cousin… can’t recall which, now, and neither can my mother, had cancer. The doctor opened her up to see what they could do (in the days LONG before X-Rays, CAT, PET and other diagnostic tests) took one look and closed her up again telling her not to make any long-term plans.
She lived to a ripe old age and the tumors apparently disappeared all on their own.
Some would attribute this to the power of prayer, luck, or misdiagnosis but who knows what happened. The doctor had said she was “riddled” with tumors and then they were gone.
I lost my grandmother and a great aunt to cancer, and another was a “miraculous survival”. So…. who knows?
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Ooh, I’m getting capital letter shouting at me.
Sorry if I caused offense but that’s the way I saw it. I wasn’t being negative, just what I thought was realistic.
Still you may be right. I truly hope so. 🙂
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I really like that people feel comfortable enough to express their opinions here, and also disagree with some opinions or ideas expressed … there’s nothing like a bit of debate to get people thinking.
Orcus, I did wonder how the surgeons actually saw my liver tumours without cutting into it. If they were going by the previous PET scan there should have been two, but they said there were three. How could they have known that? I still don’t know.
Presumably the peritoneal tumours were seen more as damaged tissue as they were so small, and (again presumably) they chose three sections from the most badly damaged areas to biopsy.
Ricardo has said more than once that perhaps the two months of chemo I did last summer was enough to start the process of getting rid of the tumours. I reckon by now he’s pretty much seen it all, unlike my oncologists, who are all about 15 years old. But he also says that he can’t explain what’s going on and, like me, he’s waiting to hear what they decide at the clinical session tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I haven’t seen anybody cause offense here. And while I’m not being negative, I feel I am being both realistic and very cautiously optimistic. I’m not sure if anything has changed at all since my last operation, other than the various medical opinions.
Yeah Orcus, I can really see you disciplining those cuties. 😉
And hey, hmh – picked up the book today. Thanks! 🙂
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Sweet Mother of God, I would be a total nutbag by this time. You have amazing equilibrium.
I love the idea that the tumors would just go ahead and disappear on their own. I don’t trust doctors much, and a “15” year old (I know that’s an exaggeration but still ..) doctor hasn’t been around long enough to develop the “art” of his science or the judgment of an older, more experienced person. I wish you could opt for someone who’s been around a bit longer. Probably don’t have that choice, though.
Anyway, cautiously glad for your possibly good news. 🙂
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“You have amazing equilibrium.”
The rioja helps. 😉
As does having some of the most wonderful friends in the universe.
Been having a fabulous time this week with zoomer, and the chemistry between me, Nog, zoomer & Pipocas when we all get together is amazing. Laugh? I thought my head would fall off! 🙂
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They do say laughter is the best medicine.
And I think they’re right.
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All I can do while here is supply a few hugs, some laughs (mostly groans mixed with laughs) and some company.
Personally I’m all about the positive attitude thing, I believe finding even the tiniest slice of light in the dark makes the daylight blindingly glorious. I just grew up that way (OK Az, I know I’m not grown up …..)
😛
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Being the cynical pragmatical bitch I am I only accept what I see with my own eyes.
I’ve been there so many times when tumours have been described courtesy of fancy multi million dollar machines – and I’ve found none. I’ve also been the one finding the tumours the fancy multi million dollar machines did not.
Unfortunately at that stage it’s too late for the one most concerned, but the information can still be of importance for the family.
…and what’s inside the liver you don’t see without cutting into it.
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Firstly, I want to know why you didn’t have sex with Dr House, too 😉 I mean, come on, how can a girl resist??!!
Secondly, I’m glad to hear the good news and really hope that the Wednesday meeting goes/went well and confirmed the more positive findings.
Also, I think the more I find out about the immune system the more respect I have for those little cells. They race about, never knowing what they might have to battle, often its something they’ve never come across but they soon figure it out and get stuck in there. Go Az’s white blood cells!
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