The Fight, Part 2

I have always said that your entire world as you know it can change in the blink of an eye.  On May 17th, 2011, I experienced that first hand.  After completing my 6 months of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments and countless surgeries and procedures, I thought I could finally put all of that behind me.  In January 2013, I was finally able to go back to work after being off for 18 months.

I was just about to start playing summer soccer again for the first time in 3 years and was SO looking forward to it.  I had my routine MRI, which happens every 3 months and was scheduled to go see my radiation oncologist on Thursday, May 30th.  I was at work on Wednesday, May 29th, a "normal day" until I got a call from my family doctor on my cell phone.  He asked if we could have a conversation about my MRI results before I went to Moncton the following day to see my radiation oncologist.  I said I had an upcoming meeting and the afternoon would be best.  He suggested 4pm and said I could bring an extra set of ears or two if I wanted.  He meant my parents.  I knew at that moment it was bad news.  I have never had to go see him about my results before I go see my radiation oncologist.  I broke down at work and went directly to my parents house.  I had called my mom from work and by the time I got there my dad was home from work as well.  I walked in to find my parents and sister all crying.  My sister, her boyfriend, and their baby have just moved back to New Brunswick from Alberta and I am so glad they are closer, especially now.

I waited around a bit and said well, let's go get this over with we know what we are going to hear.  Sure enough, there were changes in my bone (sacrum), and a new tumor growing off of it, roughly 2-3 cms.

Thursday morning we went to Moncton bright and early and I stopped in to see a good friend who is going through chemo for testicular cancer.  It was my first time walking into that oncology ward since I left my last treatment in October 2011.  Nothing has changed.  The same nurses are working there and they asked me how I was doing.  I told them up until the day before, I was doing really well.

My radiation oncologist confirmed that I do have a recurrence of my cancer but a biopsy of the tumor needed to be done so the treatment process can begin ASAP.  I cannot have anymore radiation, so that is not an option.  I am waiting to hear from my oncologist likely early next week to see if/what chemo is an option for me.  I was told last time I was almost at my lifetime limit.

My radiation oncologist managed to get me into interventional radiology Thursday afternoon for a needle biopsy of the tumor.  I had blood work done and CTscans and then the doctor did a biopsy using a needle.  The needle was about the diameter of a pencil and over a foot long.  After some good drugs through my IV and freezing the skin, he literally shoved it in.  I am still very sore and have a dressing on my butt, just about my crack to be exact.  This is a little bit lower than the 2 bone biopsies they took from my initial diagnosis.

I am awaiting more tests.  I have to have a PET scan done again, where they inject me with radioactive isotopes to see where there is cancer in my body.  My "case" has also been sent to Toronto.  We don't yet know what my options are.  If surgery is even an option.  But with that said, since I can't have any more radiation, the only way the cancer will be gone from my sacrum is to go in and remove it.  If they do that, I will lose my right leg at the same time. 

Right now, I have to wait for my appointments and tests and see what my options are and evaluate them all and then decide which is best for me.