Today was a day of good news, well relatively good news. When you are dealing with any life threatening illness you can see the glass half empty or half full. I prefer to look on the positive side. Several years ago I knew a woman who had a negative outlook on life. She was diagnosed with cancer and died within a few months. While I don’t think that a positive attitude will necessarily heal all wounds it is proven that faith and a positive outlook goes a long way towards successful treatment.
I still have Lung Cancer and it has spread to my brain. The good news regarding the brain tumors is that they are small and the physicians are confident they can be zapped into oblivion with radiation therapy. Beginning tomorrow afternoon I start 14 days radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy doesn’t hurt, that is good news. The notable side effect is physical fatigue and hair loss. So this weekend I will join the ranks of the follicle impaired shaving my hair. For Halloween, all I will need is a light bulb to go as Uncle Fester. I'm told that the hair may or may not regrow.
The other good news is that my particular type of lung cancer can be treated with Tarceva. Tarceva is a wonder drug which has greater success than traditional chemo therapy. It’s a pill you take in the morning and the side effects are minimal. It just doesn’t work for all types of cancer but it does work for mine.
Tarceva will not cure my cancer. It remains terminal; however, for the first time since I was first diagnosed, physicians are talking about years of life not months. I’d say that is pretty positive!
Monday, October 18, 2010
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4 comments:
So so grateful to get some good news and grateful for all the people who have been praying for you, it's working. I told the boys you're going to be bald and they want to be bald too. Might be kind of cold though
Okay. Okay. I had to stop at the brain stuff. Before I got the good news. Just to absorb the first bit. But the rest is good news. And educational. And your tone is good. And you will look swell bald. But I am not going to shave my hair off in solidarity. I hope you will understand. I doubt that G will even shave his beard, but the idea of Kari's boys going bald charms me. Maybe Max will too. Or Kris. (Okay- that makes me giggle).
That Tarceva stuff sounds so awesome! I'm glad that it should work for you. And I'm really glad for your positive attitude. We appreciate it a lot. Bummer you can't come out right away, but soon enough I'm sure.
Yay! So glad to hear the good knows.
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