The good news is there have been no complications from the October surgery. The bad news is the lack of complications is because the surgery never happened.
We went in for a consult with the surgeon in early October. She shared the bad news that my September scan shows 8 tumors in my liver, a number higher than the count in late April. She also said that upon further review of the April scan, there were 8 tumors present even though they only counted 5 at the time. The good news was that none of the 8 tumors had grown in size since the April MRCP (enhanced MRI). Unfortunately, 8 visible tumors on the scan almost certainly means 16-20 tumors in my liver. Several of them are only milimeters in size. The surgeon was confident she would not be able to get everything and stated that it was a zero sum game. We either get everything and reset the clock or we don’t get everything and the clock stays the same. I elected not to proceed with a risky surgery and long recovery based on the surgeon’s recommendation.
The surgical consult was quickly followed by a visit with my oncologist. We had a lengthy conversation about where things stand and what the best course of action would be. My oncologist assured me that, so far, I don’t seem to have super agressive tumors. We settled on a plan to forgo treatments for the months of October and November (having skipped September thinking I’d be having surgery). The next step in the plan will be another MRCP in early December following three months without treatment. Our hope is that the tumors will stay the same in number and size. We would then scan again in a few months and repeat this cycle for as long as we can.
Of course the possibility remains that something new will grow. My medical team has used the term “intolerable side effects” for the first line treatments. My oncologist said we have some options for second line treatments, but that we will discuss those when the time comes. This could be next month or in several years. We are hoping for the latter.
Anxiety has been a new adventure throughout all of this. Several members of my medical team have reiterated, “IT IS ENTIRELY NORMAL FOR YOU TO HAVE ANXIETY.” After all, they recently told me I have cancer in my body and we are going to leave it inside. I’m learning to manage this like everything else in the adventure.
On a positive note, we were able to arrange a screening of a film that was a great inspiration for me. The film “Radiating Joy: The Michelle Duppong Story” was in theaters for one night on November 12. We were able to fill a 150 seat theater thanks to the generosity of a benefactor and the help of a friend. I hope that everyone who saw the film walked away inspired and willing to embrace life’s sufferings with joy and trust. If you don’t know about Michelle, visit https://michelleduppongcause.org/ and learn about this amazing person (maybe offer a prayer for me while you’re there if you’d be willing).
On another positive note, our friend Cori Nations was able to squeeze us in for some family photos. Cori is an amazing photographer and we are grateful that we were able to get family pictures before another plot twist could happen in this story.
That’s the update. For now we continue to wait and watch.