Funny how recovery works. After surgery I shuffled around the house like I was 110 years old. Now, I'm a spry 85 or so, and getting younger every day. That's such a good feeling.
Today's doctor visit went very well indeed. He was thrilled with the outcome of the liver surgery, and confirmed that that was the biggest hurdle. If it hadn't gone so well, we'd have only been buying time ("...a year or so...") Since it did, we're well on the way to a cure and making good progress. Woo hoo!
Next steps: A week from today I'll get back on a chemo regimen, and we'll also start radiation therapy. This time the chemo and radiation will work together, every single weekday, and we'll do it up until it's time for the next surgery. The goal is to shrink the tumor on my intestine to maximize the chances for an easy and successful surgery. We want to restore completely normal bowel function, a goal which seems possible to achieve. Surgery will be in about 4 or 5 weeks. Upon recovery we'll continue with some chemo and radiation, just to be as certain as we can that nothing has a chance to come back again, and then this thing will be over and behind me.
The news keeps getting better. He said that this chemo session will be low-dose, with far fewer side effects than the last one. Radiation will be targeted at my colon, so there shouldn't be too many side effects from that, either. Mainly just tiredness, which I am well used to by now. I will have to lug a chemo pump around all week, but I'm pretty well accustomed to that, too. It's not nearly as bad as it sounds like it would be.
Things will be pretty busy now through June or maybe into July, but we are (we hope!) on the "downhill stretch."
Thank you all for your caring and sharing.
Clem
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2 comments:
That is MOST awesome news, Clem! If you're feeling up to it, we'd love to see you tonight at the Chattanooga Grotto meeting!
Ron
P.S. Don't keep getting younger forever, or before longer, we won't be able to get you served alcohol at restaurants!
The Grotto meeting was in my plan, but Jessica fixed dinner that peaked at just the wrong time, so I chose the tastier option. How was the talk? I do want to buy the book, and would have loved to see Bill and Miriam again.
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