A horse walks into a bar and the bartender asks "why the long face?" The horse responds "I have cancer".
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| Wait, what...? |
I've been saving that joke for a long time, 2020 seems apropos for it. In fact, this year has been a shit-show that calls for a little bit of Gallows' Humor just make the day.
A lot of fucking water has passed under the bridge since my last rant. To quickly recap: I started the TPX-0005 clinical trail at UCI (University of Irvine) in December 2019 with little issue. However, in January 2020, the first results from the study CT/MRI resulted in apparent progression in the brain & lung. Not fun news to hear while on a trail, but I've been at this impasse several times before and figured my body was still adjusting to the med. Still, I felt that familiar sting as my heart sank a little more.
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| fudge |
It was recommended that I consult with the original medical team from Cedars Sinai for assessment, in particular the Radiation Oncologist & Pulmonologist. It was crucial to rule out the areas in my body that were treated in 2017 vs the suspicious growth seen in this latest scan. As such, I'll break the matter in two segments.
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Not mine, but you get the idea |
Part 1: Lung tumor.
The January scan showed an marked increase in the tumor size. Enough so, that it warranted a visit to the Pulmonologist to get his view on the matter. Within 2 minutes he was gung-ho on getting a biopsy and immediately had me scheduled to be on the butcher block the next day. I was speechless, but accepted my fate yet remained in a haze of confusion. Later that day, a preliminary chest CT was scheduled to map out my lungs which would guarantee the best biopsy slice. But soon afterward I received a phone call from the Pulmonologist saying there was no need for the biopsy. It turns out that no growth was demonstrated when comparing this scan to the original 2017 scan. No change in shape, no suspicious activity, no growth. Just the same old stupid dead tumor.
Part 2: Brain metastasis.
I followed up with the Radiation Oncologist who seemed unsure of what the study MRI scans were showing. In general, there was edema (swelling) in certain areas of my brain. This is indicative of a tumor, but it is also indicative of radiation necrosis (dead brain tissue caused by radiation) and can be misread as "growth". He suggested consulting with a Neurosurgeon that will offer further insight to this matter and provide a resolution, if any.
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| Not mine, but you get the idea. |
It was nice to stay within the Cedars Sinai network since every discipline is within close reach, and the Neurosurgeon's practice was quite a bump in style from all the other Dr.'s offices. I presented the January MRI report which seemed to leave him with similar doubts in regards to questionable "growth" vs edema. So, he ordered a new MRI to be done, but with an added procedure called Spectroscopy, which measures chemical signatures that detect tumors. It made the scan time longer, but it was worth the wait since the scan resulted in negative tumor present. What the Fuck? says I. Again.
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| yay |
I called the UCI Oncologist to confirm, but she still felt this needed ongoing observation. So, another MRI was scheduled, but this time at UCI. A third brain MRI this year, and it was barely February.
Now, getting a boat load of scans can be unhealthy, especially with all the contrast/radiation they pump in your veins to get a better image. But I go as directed, especially if I want to continue on the trail (as-is). Besides, we were still in the early stages of the new year. I was certain things would get better...
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| HAPPY 2020!!! |
to be cont...
