2nd round of scans

Lots to catch up with, so here goes:

Ok, I've been holding off on this post because I was hoping that it would be a little bit more positive, but it is what it is. I had my 2nd set of scans administered on 9/17. They did the typical CT scan and PET scan, along with a mugascan (heart test) and pulmonary test (lung capacity test). The 2 latter test are taken to make sure my body continues to handle the chemo well. Those 2 came back great! Unfortunately, the PET scan wasn't as positive. The good news: all of the cancer found in my neck and middle of my chest is gone! The bad news: there's a spot just under my right collar bone that continues to show up positive on the PET scan. This is not a new enlarged lymphnode; this has been there since my original diagnosis. Unfortunately, its not reacting to the current chemo treatment. Oncologist isn't sure if its Hodgkins disease or just an area thats coming up active on the scan for another reason. Aside from the cancer, she mentioned it could be an infection, a false positive from the scan, or something else...... Needless to say that when I got this news, I was a bit devastated. Most people (with 2A Hodgkins after 8 rounds of chemo) are typically cancer free, they just need to finish out the final 4 chemo treatments, then on to radiation.

So, where do we go from here you might ask? Well, my oncologist set up an appointment for me to meet with a Thoracic surgeon (which occured last Tuesday 9/22). We scheduled another biopsy which took place just yesterday (Monday 9/28) to have part of that lymphnode removed. I'm recovering at home right now, feeling pretty good, just a sore neck, feels like I just got off the Mean Streak at Cedar Point (that ride's waaaayy too bumpy!). Along with the biopsy, the doctors also did a bronchioscopy (I believe is how its spelled), just to make sure the cancer hasn't spread. From what I've been told, we're all clear there. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to speak with the Thoracic surgeon post-op, but my parents did. He made a cut into the base of my neck (where the neck meets the chest) and navigated his way through my uppper chest to the lymphnode just under my right collar bone. It was tough for him to get a sufficient piece of the node due to all the scar tissue from the dead Hodgkins cells, but he got something. Hopefully its good enough to make a diagnosis. If not, then we gotta do it all over again :(. Next time they'll actually have to make a couple incisions under my right armpit and will then need to collapse a freakin lung to get to the node to have the entire thing removed.

Honestly, I'm not sure where we stand. Obviously I hope that the surgeon got more than enough of the lymphnode to make a diagnosis and I'm praying like crazy that it comes back negative for Hodgkins. However, if it does come back positive, the Oncologist will need to make some changes in my chemo, then head into radiation. Hopefully that does the trick!!

I've been doing great through all of this treatment, part of me actually felt that it was going TOO good, like there had to be a setback somewhere. Well, this is it, and I'm hoping thats all this is, just a minor set back. For those of you who might be praying out there, I'll need them the most in the next couple days. I have an appointment with my Oncologist this Thursday and she should have the results. I'll keep you all posted, thanks for checking in!

Oh yea, and hopefully I get to see most, if not all of you, at the fundraiser this weekend!

Appt with Radiologist

Hope all is well with everyone! Last Wednesday I had my first appointment (or consultation) with my soon to be Radiology Oncologist. Real cool guy, about 60 years old and a huge OSU football fan.....that took a bit of the edge off!

We discussed some of the very simple things of Radiation (short/long term side effects, how long each radiation session takes, etc....). A lot of the side effects are similar to my chemotherapy, its really the long term side effects that I need to be concerned with. Those are mainly another malignancy and possible lung problems, but the radiologist said that these dont typically arise for another 15-25 years later and the chances are still slim (about 10%).

One thing that really threw me off is that radiation is going to be administered EVERY DAY for 3-4 weeks. The sessions will only take about 30 mins, but the frequency is still a little suprising. Radiation is used on every part of my body where the lymph nodes were cancerous.....for me that means neck and chest.

Radiation will begin about 4 weeks after my last chemo treatment, so the sooner I can get done with chemo the quicker I can get myself into radiation.

I'm heading back into the Cancer Center this Thursday for my 8th treatment. I'll have scans done next Thursday to see how I'm coming along.....fingers crossed!

One final thing......most of you are aware, but some may not be. My beautiful girlfriend, wonderful mom, a number of my family members and a few of my very good friends are organizing a fundraising event. I've included a link to the Evite below, please take a minute to read. It would be great to see you all there, if possible!

http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=GRRVCAEPTSXUYJRWEHLC&li=iq&src=email&trk=aei6