So today was a big day! Paul and I headed to BC Cancer Agency to have our first meeting an oncologist and I was excited about that - an unusual emotion perhaps; however, I was so ready to talk to someone about my cancer and to make a plan.
As we headed into the parking lot at the Agency, the phone rang. It was the Cancer centre in P'boro in Ontario. My family doctor/'angel' and I have been in contact over the past couple of weeks and she had felt that even though we didn't know what was coming, we ought to get the process started in Ontario, so we had a plan to offer BC and consequently, she had submitted paperwork on Monday to start the process. This call was to say I had two appointments next week with medical and radiation oncologist respectively, in P'boro. We took the info and headed into our appointment.
We met with the oncologist for close to an hour and a half. He was lovely. He explained the various results in the pathology, and basically, most of what is there is quite pleasing to him - my type of cancer responds well to tamoxifen, there weren't many deviations that were concerning, and so it may be a slower growing cancer. However, by doing all the stats, he demonstrated that it would be best for me to have chemo, radiation and then tamoxifen. Likely about 3 months of chemo, followed by 4 - 6 weeks of radiation. About 3/4 of the way through the appointment he looked at me and said I was remarkably composed - how was I doing? I was fine, but at that point started to talk about healing, and if chemo was on the table, I would really like to go to Ontario...we told him about the scheduled appointments next week. He listened carefully and said he thought that could work well and in fact, he had a friend who was an oncologist in P'boro. He gave her name and it's the doctor I am scheduled to see on Tuesday!!
He was thrilled - I was teary! He said he would send the notes to both her and our family doctor by day's end and so they would have the notes next week. There is one test Onco-type test, which I qualify for which gives an even more in depth look at the risk benefits of chemo. For this test, tissue is sent to California, and takes about 2 1/2 weeks. From this, there may be an indication that chemo would provide me with low benefit as my cancer is not likely to reoccur if I just do the radiation/tamoxifen... Alternatively it can also highly recommend chemo - because he felt my case was pretty borderline, he wanted this added direction.
So, the plan as I understand it is:
He sends notes, etc to Ontario today and the testing to California
I head to TO next week for appt's on Tuesday and Wed in P'boro
We all wait 2 weeks after that to see what the results say
If yes for Chemo - head to Ontario and begin the 3 month stint (he said some dr's make this regimen 6 months but hopefully not this time...)...I will lose my hair and have some other side effects, so likely good to make healing my focus for the summer :-) Then head back to BC for radiation and Tamoxifen in the fall.
If no for chemo - then head to Ontario to begin radiation, and return to work with him using Tamoxifen in the fall.
So - going forward my prayer requests are that things run smoothly for a transfer to Ontario; That the Oncotype test shows that chemo is not necessary; And that I have ongoing strength to deal with whatever comes my way :-)
As I said to Paul, I just heard that I need chemo, radiation and tamoxifen, and I feel pretty darn good :-)
I so appreciate the ongoing prayers, support, and am seeing such gifts as the plans unfold.
As we headed into the parking lot at the Agency, the phone rang. It was the Cancer centre in P'boro in Ontario. My family doctor/'angel' and I have been in contact over the past couple of weeks and she had felt that even though we didn't know what was coming, we ought to get the process started in Ontario, so we had a plan to offer BC and consequently, she had submitted paperwork on Monday to start the process. This call was to say I had two appointments next week with medical and radiation oncologist respectively, in P'boro. We took the info and headed into our appointment.
We met with the oncologist for close to an hour and a half. He was lovely. He explained the various results in the pathology, and basically, most of what is there is quite pleasing to him - my type of cancer responds well to tamoxifen, there weren't many deviations that were concerning, and so it may be a slower growing cancer. However, by doing all the stats, he demonstrated that it would be best for me to have chemo, radiation and then tamoxifen. Likely about 3 months of chemo, followed by 4 - 6 weeks of radiation. About 3/4 of the way through the appointment he looked at me and said I was remarkably composed - how was I doing? I was fine, but at that point started to talk about healing, and if chemo was on the table, I would really like to go to Ontario...we told him about the scheduled appointments next week. He listened carefully and said he thought that could work well and in fact, he had a friend who was an oncologist in P'boro. He gave her name and it's the doctor I am scheduled to see on Tuesday!!
He was thrilled - I was teary! He said he would send the notes to both her and our family doctor by day's end and so they would have the notes next week. There is one test Onco-type test, which I qualify for which gives an even more in depth look at the risk benefits of chemo. For this test, tissue is sent to California, and takes about 2 1/2 weeks. From this, there may be an indication that chemo would provide me with low benefit as my cancer is not likely to reoccur if I just do the radiation/tamoxifen... Alternatively it can also highly recommend chemo - because he felt my case was pretty borderline, he wanted this added direction.
So, the plan as I understand it is:
He sends notes, etc to Ontario today and the testing to California
I head to TO next week for appt's on Tuesday and Wed in P'boro
We all wait 2 weeks after that to see what the results say
If yes for Chemo - head to Ontario and begin the 3 month stint (he said some dr's make this regimen 6 months but hopefully not this time...)...I will lose my hair and have some other side effects, so likely good to make healing my focus for the summer :-) Then head back to BC for radiation and Tamoxifen in the fall.
If no for chemo - then head to Ontario to begin radiation, and return to work with him using Tamoxifen in the fall.
So - going forward my prayer requests are that things run smoothly for a transfer to Ontario; That the Oncotype test shows that chemo is not necessary; And that I have ongoing strength to deal with whatever comes my way :-)
As I said to Paul, I just heard that I need chemo, radiation and tamoxifen, and I feel pretty darn good :-)
I so appreciate the ongoing prayers, support, and am seeing such gifts as the plans unfold.