Went to Huntsman March 23, 2015, met with Dr. Hung Khong to discuss my options. My Oncoytype DX, recurrence Score was 13, under 25 which is good. We discussed the MRI that I had taken about a week and a half earlier, everything looked good, other than a couple of my lymph nodes looked a little swollen but that could have been because of surgery, but the Radiation Therapy I will be receiving will kill any cancer cells in that area.
I decided after much prayer, fasting and exploring my options that I wanted to just do radiation therapy and endocrine therapy. We found out after speaking with the Doctor that the only way I could get that option was to put myself into the second stage of the clinical trial. I let the computer pick, with a prayer in my heart that all I would have to do is Radiation therapy and endocrine therapy, if that was what was right, that is what the computer picked. NO CHEMO! I feel really good about it.
I am so grateful for the Lord and the gospel in my life, for the guidance I feel. It's not always easy to look at a disease that could ultimate take your life, lightly. Not that I've been taking it lightly, but I just felt in my heart that it would be alright. It's been a long 12 weeks since we found out I had breast cancer and the process has not been an easy one. I know many in my family wanted me to just go homeopathic, there may be benefits, but I also found some research that showed it may not be totally effective. In praying and speaking with my husband and my children we felt that this was the option that would be safest for me and give us the peace of mind. I know Jim isn't 100 percent sure he likes this, but I have faith that all will be well.
They will monitor me over the next two years, every three to four months, after my treatment is finished I will have a physical and then I believe it was every six months after that for three more years and from there I'll be back to yearly visits. It's a process I'll be on the road for the next six weeks for my daily dose of radiation, but it is well worth the time. I could get treatment closer to home, but just felt impressed to go the Huntsman for a second opinion. I just feel better about the care I will receive there. I would not have had the opportunity to be included in the clinical study if I hadn't gone there. I would"ve already been doing chemo and enduring what ever would have been in my path.
With this clinical trial, they can pull me at any time if things are not working, if I need more care. I can stop at anytime also, if I feel that I don't want to do it any more. I do feel that everything will be fine. I'm blessed to be in good hands.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
What Path to Take?
Our 1st meeting with the medical oncologist and the radiation oncologist in Logan didn't go so well. Matter of fact it left us wondering what to do. We did the next best thing and decided to go for a second opinion. Regardless that our options may not change, it is a peace of mind decision.
The medical oncologist just seemed brazen and calculated, I might even think he wasn't human. I know they tell people these same things every day, but they still need to at least act like people matter. He acted like it shouldn't be a huge shock for us. I think the prospect of doing Chemo has been the hardest reality for me. I wasn't ready to accept it. I don't know that the medical oncologist is a bad person, he just needs a better bed side manner. I don't feel that I could trust him to make decisions that would be beneficial to me. As a matter of fact, some of the people that I associate with that have been to him told me not to go to him, after I had already questioned if I could trust him. Kinda of makes me feel a little better about my negative vibs. I just thought it was me but Jim isn't comfortable with him either, which is why we decided to get a second opinion. It's my life we are playing with and I want to make sure I feel comfortable putting my life in their hands.
Monday March 2, 2015 we go to visit the radiation oncologist and Medical oncologist at the Huntsman in SLC! We'll keep you posted.
The medical oncologist just seemed brazen and calculated, I might even think he wasn't human. I know they tell people these same things every day, but they still need to at least act like people matter. He acted like it shouldn't be a huge shock for us. I think the prospect of doing Chemo has been the hardest reality for me. I wasn't ready to accept it. I don't know that the medical oncologist is a bad person, he just needs a better bed side manner. I don't feel that I could trust him to make decisions that would be beneficial to me. As a matter of fact, some of the people that I associate with that have been to him told me not to go to him, after I had already questioned if I could trust him. Kinda of makes me feel a little better about my negative vibs. I just thought it was me but Jim isn't comfortable with him either, which is why we decided to get a second opinion. It's my life we are playing with and I want to make sure I feel comfortable putting my life in their hands.
Monday March 2, 2015 we go to visit the radiation oncologist and Medical oncologist at the Huntsman in SLC! We'll keep you posted.
What an incredible Visit to the Huntsman Cancer Institute!
I am so glad we went.
So here is the news we can tell you about Nikki's Cancer after a long day at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. First off, what a wonderful place with Doctors that really care about you as a person not just another patient to poke and prod. The Medical Oncologist Dr Khong was very positive and uplifting and 100% opposite from the Oncologist we met with in Logan. I will try to keep this short and simple and if you want or need more details let me know. He explained that the tumor was in-fact considered small and the fact that the cancer had only spread to the first Lymph node and none of the others barely put Nikki into the stage two category. He feels that she is right on the edge of not needing Chemo (totally opposite the Logan doctor) and if she does then it would be no more than 12 weeks at a low dose. Because of several specific characteristics she is eligible to join a clinical trial designed for just her situation and they will do more in depth tests and study of the cancer cells from the tumor and determine on a scale from 1 to 50, 1 being non aggressive how high the chances are that the cancer really has spread to other parts of her body and if the score is over 25 then its on to Chemo no exceptions if it is below 25 then she continues on in the clinical and may not need chemo at all. either way they will monitor her treatments and overall health for years and see how each person reacts to each type of treatment so that by the end of the trial of 5000 women with exactly the same situation as Nikki they can have a hard set number to say that scores below this number don't need chemo and above do which will help many women in the future to not be over diagnosed. Regardless she will do six weeks of local radiation and 5 plus years of Estrogen therapy to insure that it does not come back. We will get the results from the extra testing in about two weeks. We feel really good about it either way and that Dr Khong is doing what is best for us and we can change our minds in any direction at any time. Thanks for all the cares and prayers
So here is the news we can tell you about Nikki's Cancer after a long day at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. First off, what a wonderful place with Doctors that really care about you as a person not just another patient to poke and prod. The Medical Oncologist Dr Khong was very positive and uplifting and 100% opposite from the Oncologist we met with in Logan. I will try to keep this short and simple and if you want or need more details let me know. He explained that the tumor was in-fact considered small and the fact that the cancer had only spread to the first Lymph node and none of the others barely put Nikki into the stage two category. He feels that she is right on the edge of not needing Chemo (totally opposite the Logan doctor) and if she does then it would be no more than 12 weeks at a low dose. Because of several specific characteristics she is eligible to join a clinical trial designed for just her situation and they will do more in depth tests and study of the cancer cells from the tumor and determine on a scale from 1 to 50, 1 being non aggressive how high the chances are that the cancer really has spread to other parts of her body and if the score is over 25 then its on to Chemo no exceptions if it is below 25 then she continues on in the clinical and may not need chemo at all. either way they will monitor her treatments and overall health for years and see how each person reacts to each type of treatment so that by the end of the trial of 5000 women with exactly the same situation as Nikki they can have a hard set number to say that scores below this number don't need chemo and above do which will help many women in the future to not be over diagnosed. Regardless she will do six weeks of local radiation and 5 plus years of Estrogen therapy to insure that it does not come back. We will get the results from the extra testing in about two weeks. We feel really good about it either way and that Dr Khong is doing what is best for us and we can change our minds in any direction at any time. Thanks for all the cares and prayers
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