Well I have finished my chemo and recovered. The cancer has gone back to being indolent. It was a rough summer and I want to thank Mary Scott for all her help and support.

Cancer Round 2

Last Thursday, my Oncologist noticed a lump on my upper right chest near the shoulder where my Lymphoma manifested itself. Today I had a CT Scan that confirmed that the new lump (which is growing fast) is more of my cancer of the lymph nodes.

I will start chemo as soon as I can be put through orientation. I am apprehensive about chemo especially the side effects. I also know that my type of cancer is not curable and if we can't stop the growth and force the Lymphoma back to indolency, I will die of it.

It's Back, (Maybe)

Saw my Oncologist yesterday and she notice a large lump on my upper chest area near where my lymphoma first manifested.

I have an appt. for CT Scan on Tuesday 4/8. More information after then.

In the meantime I am being angry, frustrated and scared. Back to living with uncertainty.

Dr's Visit 11/15/10

Saw My Oncologist yeaterday and I find myself resistant to blogging about it.He was mainly very technical going over the PET scans showing me where there were lesions and suspected lesions. He stated that I have "Stage 3, Grade 1-2 follicular non Hodgkins Lymphoma." and in passing mentioned that it is not curable. Treatment is based on symptoms and I show only minimal symptoms and therefore it is OK to delay treatment. I didn't press him about the non-curable (I guess I didn't want to know.) My guess (hope!) is that this is just another chronic condition that I just need to live with such as my Diabetes is not curable but is treatable. I still need to go througn a lot of blood work and test to see how/if my cancer is growing. You can go to http://www.cancer.org/ for more information.

I know I have Cancer

I guess it's official. I know I have Cancer and I am hiding it from my feelings. i sat with my Dr. today and he showed me the results of my PET scan from last week. "Of course he showed you what you expected to see. And it was his word what the colored scans on the monitor mean. After all he is a Cancer Dr. and I was there because he told me I have Lymphoma in the 1st place." says Denial ever watchful against scams.

After a Bone Biopsy (He said it would be a 10 on the pain scale, it was only a 7.) and a gallon & 1/2 of blood work drawn, I sat down with the pharmacologist and went over the Chemo regimen 1 5-6 hour day in the clinic 6 days on an oral medication (Prednisone) for 5 days then 3 weeks of "rest" See I am focusing on the procedure and not on my feelings or physical reaction.

Yes there will be side effects and losing my hair is at the top of the list. Hmmmmm maybe I'll auction it off. I wonder what I will decide to do. They suggest a "buzz" or Marine cut before before starting Chemo. Not a bad idea. But I have a lot of resistance to that going back to my Father force-feeding ultra-short hair cuts on me as a kid and up to High School. But that's a story for another day.

Back to today. I really am not feeling anything except tired I am definitely still floating down that River in Egypt.

I am not blogging or posting all of my Cancer journal entries. I am will post the best of my writing here. (and the most interesting ones on Facebook in the "notes" section.

Patrick The Man in the Hat