Just wanted to send everyone a quick update on me….
-Dr. Renner, the surgeon, that removed the lymph nodes called me late last week and advised me that we have most likely found the primary, the base of my tongue. Yes, the same spot that we had biopsied twice and came back negative. Anyway, we are doing a laser surgery this Friday at 1 pm to remove the spot at Ellis Fischel in Columbia. I do have to spend the night in the hospital but shouldn’t have a hard recovery.
-The neck dissection was more intense than I realized….they removed 57 lymph nodes and 17 came back positive for cancer. The scar is large and my neck is stiff but there shouldn’t be any permanent nerve damage on the right side. I have a little bit of a lazy lip right now.
-I will have the left side neck dissection on the 19th of February at the University and will spend several nights in the hospital. Should expect the same recovery process as with the one before.
-I met with Dr. Laux today to discuss the course of treatment since we now have a primary. He said the treatment course is/was the same and I will continue to take Herceptin until June. So, that means if the surgeries go well and we are able to remove all of the cancerous spots/lymph nodes I should be cancer free. I will be watched very carefully for quite some time with scans, etc. But will not have to repeat radiation or the “harsh” chemo I did this summer at this point.
-If for some reason I don’t have great scan results after the surgeries then we will work out an plan of attack. Most likely this plan will include the University of Chicago as Dr. Laux said they are the best in the nation with head and neck cancer. But he said we will cross that bridge if we have to.
Thank you all so much for your love and support! I appreciate it very much.
Don’t be alarmed if I am MIA for awhile…just hunkering down and trying to heal. Here is to an amazing Spring and Summer!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment