Sherryl and Richard met with Nancy today as well as with Sherryl's oncologist. The PET scan shows the cancer has progressively worsened, cancer cells are significantly active in numerous areas, and there is new disease present. Active cancer cells were found in the skeletal system, specifically in the pelvis, hip, thoracic spine, right rib, pubic bone, and right leg.
The new treatment plan will be as follows:
Sherryl will discontinue oral chemotherapy.
An x-ray was taken today of the right femur (leg); Nancy will call Sherryl when results are known.
Chemotherapy medication has been changed to
Adriamycin, which is administered intravenously weekly; she received her first dose today. This form of chemotherapy is not a drip. It is given via syringe and is accompanied by saline. Total time to receive chemo in this form is approximately 30 minutes. Side effects might include some nausea and thinning hair. It does not cause fatigue; fatigue may be experienced due to cancer.
An
echocardiogram (ECG) is ordered for this Wednesday as the heart will need to be monitored with this form of chemo. ECGs will be performed every couple of weeks or as deemed necessary by Sherryl's doctors.
In order to ease the process of drawing blood and administering chemotherapy through an IV, a port will be inserted next week in the top right chest area. This procedure will be performed by 2 radiologists, will be done under partial sedation, and will last approximately 2 hours.
The tumor marker will be measured in 6 weeks.
Physical therapy to the arm will occur as frequently as possible to reduce the edema.
There is also a lesion on the liver, but it is not positive for cancer. The radioactive dye, injected for the purpose of the PET scan, was not drawn to the area which indicates no cancer cells are present. This lesion was compared to one that appeared under Sherryl's arm several months ago but did not appear in a subsequent imaging test.
The spiked tumor marker was an indication of change. Although old cancer cells are dying off, new cancer cells are immune to current treatment medications, an indication that the old treatment plan has run its course.
Sherryl has been experiencing some pain and muscles tightening in her back. She was recalling that the news she heard today was very different than the news she heard following her PET scan in July. Those results indicated only L1 was resistant to treatment, so 2 weeks of radiation treatment was prescribed. And it was in July when she heard that her bones were getting "better and stronger."
After hearing the news today, Sherryl looked at her doctor and Nancy and asked, "So is this it?"
"Absolutely not!" Both jumped to ensure Sherryl that this is only her third treatment plan, and that there are other patients who are on their eighth and ninth plans. She was reassured that there are many, many treatment options and they will continue to evaluate what Sherryl needs on a weekly basis. Each treatment plan is continued until it stops working at which time all factors are reevaluated, then changes are made accordingly.
Sherryl is disappointed the news is not good, but she is relieved to know the results as it's sometimes more difficult to not know and have to wait. When she got home today, Sherryl made a couple of calls, went back out to the grocery store, then came home again to rest. She has not shed any tears today, but she knows they will probably come at some point. Because even in her incomparable resilience, sometimes there are tears.
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