The path forward

My day of getting scanned went well.  I did not panic while in the MRI machine, and was very glad to get that done first.

The bone scan process was interesting.  The machine moves all around you, while you lie on a table.  

But. When my phone rang on that same afternoon, and my nurse said "we need you to come in tomorrow," I knew the news was not good.

The bone scan revealed new areas of cancer.  The MRI of the liver revealed new areas of cancer.

Doc said it's not that the treatment program we are using now has stopped working since December, but that it's being challenged.  Cancer is "sneaky."

He said this is just another "well, damn"  moment, and surely NOT a moment to panic.

The really exciting part is that there is a new class of therapies available now, that were not yet an option the last time this happened about 2 and a half years ago.

 My tissue samples from the mastectomy surgery in 2015 are still viable, and still available.  They are being sent to a lab for genomic testing.  

What this will result in, hopefully, is a completely customized and targeted protocol aimed at my specific cancers (you may recall there were two different kinds), based on the dna in those cells.

This will take about 3 weeks, my insurance SHOULD cover it, and in the meantime, I am to just keep doing what I am doing.  We will continue the monthly injections, and I will just keep taking the meds I am on, until we have more information.

He said that many of the medications being used are oral, and immunotherapy-based, just like what we are doing now.  My nurse said they will try to keep me out of the chemo chair. 

There is also a newer type of radiation therapy that is used to address pain from bone mets.  This is staying on the "back burner" for now, though, because my pain is not constant, AND we want to see what comes through from the genomic research.

SO, all in all, I am highly encouraged, and excited by what the future might bring.  I am very fortunate to have survived this long, I know.... and I am even more fortunate to be here for new developments in the area of treating late stage cancer.

I wish my friend Laura had been able to time her cancer similarly, but, unfortunately, that's not how it works. 

Oh, and doc gave me the all clear to continue dancing, as long as I am careful.

The intense heat wave continues here.  They're saying it will finally break later in the week, and that we will have the coolest overnight temperatures we have seen in 52 days by that time.

Unfortunately, we will still be seeing daily highs between 103 and 105 continuing until then.

There could be some rain with that cooling front, too, which is far too late to save cattle and crops in this mostly agricultural state. 

I do not exaggerate when I say that everything out there has turned brown and crisp in the past few weeks.

Even my black eyed susans, which are drought tolerant, native prairie plants, are struggling.  Same with our neighbor two doors down, so I know it's not my fault, HAHA.

We water morning and evening, since the local water supply is still looking good, and no restrictions have been placed yet.  

Dave waters the front flower bed, where the susans are.  We give our willow tree an hour in the evenings, and she has stopped dropping her leaves. 

I water what survives in the back, in what was my herb garden, but what is now sunflowers and sage, and the struggling herbs in a couple of pots.  My petunia plant continues to bloom, but the stalks are brown, and there are no leaves.  It's weird!

I keep planting my scallion roots in the big pots, but it's been too hot for them to even think about growing new scallions for me. 

I also keep bowls of water filled out back, and the bird bath, and have seen insects drinking, as well as the occasional cat.

Our feral population has been very scarce since the new cats moved in with the jerk neighbors, but once in a while, someone shows up.

Anyway...We got errands and chores mostly done yesterday. Dave will go to Costco this morning. I have a virtual meeting with my spiritual community, and hope to take a leisurely nap this afternoon.

This past week was very stressful, and I am needing this restful weekend.

Back to a full week of work, starting tomorrow. 

Our new director comes on board this week.  Not sure which day she starts. I have not met her yet, because the day that she came in to meet people was not a Monday, so I was not in the office.

Hopefully, she will adapt to our "re-made" office culture, rather than try to micromanage us back into the stone age.

I am off to the shower.  Have a good week!