Today is My Two Year Cancerversary

Cancerversary - A term that still makes me cringe.

I saw my oncologist to find out if my tumors were shrinking and I could move on to surgery. Astoundingly, the two did shrink.

And another one grew.

"Impression: Two previously described metastatic foci improved while there is a new left hepatic lobe focus worrisome for metastatis."

It was a mixed result that puzzled my doctor a great deal. He said you just don't see tumors in one area responding and not responding to treatment at the same time.

Leave it to me to be complicated.

The plan is to have another PET as soon as possible. It's tentatively scheduled for Friday. And, he's still going to set up a surgical consult with an "aggressive" San Francisco doctor. I doubt I can have resection surgery anymore (although I'm not a doctor, who knows?) but they can possibly be ablated. We have to do that before more grow, so there is a time concern. That new lesion is 1.3 cm and grew in six weeks. If I wait a few more months, my liver could be covered with them.

If the PET shows that cancer has grown anywhere else, all bets are off. We looking at pure palliative care.

My dog, too, is facing this disease. He is a greyhound named Stoli. He's been very sick for a couple of weeks and today was diagnosed with pancratic cancer, that has, ironically, spread to his liver. He was 75 pounds; he is down to 56 pounds. We are going to give him his favorite treats for a few days - then let him go. My heart is breaking.

A year ago, on my first "cancerversary" I wrote this hopeful letter to newly diagnosed women who came across my blog.

That advice still stands. I still believe it.

However, on my 2nd cancerversary, I would like to add another thought:



Fuck you, cancer.


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