Answers, Real Honest to Goodness Answers

I know it seems odd for one to be excited about seeing an oncologist, but that's exactly how I felt when I saw my oncologist today. He's obsessed with lymphomas and I mean that in a very good way. Everything he said jibes with the research I've done - it was like he was validating the last 8 months of my life. Every other doctor I'd seen before today left me feeling skeptical about whether I was really pursuing the right course of action. Turns out that my suspicions were correct in a lot of ways (Side note - One big lesson I'm learning is that when you and your doctor disagree, trust yourself!).

Turns out that the mediastinoscopy (performed by a general surgeon) was the wrong procedure - it's too hard to get to the tumor and extract a good sample. It also turns out (man, I'm over-using that phrase tonight aren't I) that the needle biopsy (performed by a radiologist) is also the wrong procedure (something I sort of already knew). The right procedure is a parasternal incisional biopsy (performed by a thoracic surgeon). Basically, they make a small incision in the chest right between the ribs. Theoretically, you could do it on either side of the chest, but for fairly obvious reasons they're opting for the right side of the chest (opposite the heart). Rather than clawing at the tissue with a scope, they'll cut out a nice piece of the tumor, just like slicing a nice piece of cheese.

So, no needle biopsy tomorrow. Instead, I'm having the incisional biopsy done on Tuesday afternoon. The invasiveness is about the same as it was for the mediastinoscopy. In other words, it's outpatient surgery although it's possible I many end up staying overnight at the hospital, especially given that the surgery won't happen until pretty late in the day. I feel good about it because I know we're doing the right thing this time.

I'll write more about my oncologist later when I have a little more time and energy, but he's pretty much awesome. A few things worth mentioning: Hodgkin's does appear to be the culprit, though it is possible that it's a form of non-Hodgkin's. Assuming it's Hodgkin's, it'll probably be about 4 months of chemotherapy (the ABVD regimen, for those interested in more detail) followed by tight, focused radiation on the mediastinum where the tumor is located. My oncologist doesn't waste time, so the chemo will probably start shortly after I'm recuperated from surgery. Between the chemo and the radiation, we should be able to nip this thing in the bud.

The most exciting news, however, is that the itching is likely to go away after the FIRST TREATMENT! Glory, Hallelujah!! I can't convey in words how excited I am about that. I think Skye is almost as excited as I am. Poor thing, my inability to sleep has interfered significantly with her ability to sleep. Hopefully soon, we'll both be sleeping normally again.

Speaking of sleep, I'm feeling like I might be able to get some if I try right now, so I'm outta here...goodnight.