After finishing the last round of chemo back in May, it was time for another scan to see how much more the lymphoma had shrunk and then meet with his oncologist to talk over and plan a follow-up routine.
The scan showed a mass that might have been some dying tissue, as hoped, but also a solid mass that was probably still active lymphoma. Phooey.
It made the oncologist uneasy that it hadn't continued to respond to the chemo so it was time for a PET scan which would show us if the remaining mass was metabolically active aka cancer. That was in early June and on the no-news-is-good-news assumption we headed out to see that darling grandchild, but when we returned there were messages on our answering machine--we'd missed the doctor's call that it was active and he was arranging another biopsy.
Fortunately there was enough time before J's field work to get another CT-guided needle biopsy and receive the pathology report. Our doctor knew when J was leaving so he made sure he called the evening before with the news that the biopsy still confirmed a slow-growing lymphoma and showed no change to a more aggressive form. But he wanted to refer J to a specialist at either Stanford or UCSF. He felt since the indolent lymphoma wasn't responding to the treatment as it theoretically should have, that a specialist was the obvious next step.
Even though we knew beforehand that J still was having a bit of pain, that the mass was probably active, and were thinking that consulting a specialist was probably a smart thing to do...it is still a kick in the pants to hear your oncologist confirm all that and face a new unknown. It felt like starting all over again.
We didn't know whether it would be Stanford or SF. Or what doctor he'd see. Or when. Or what they'd find.
And added to that was a scheduled three weeks in the field and the uncertainty of when he'd need to come back. Fortunately, he's working for a very understanding group who would (continue) to work around J's medical appointments.
It was a relief to hear back quickly this week from Stanford and begin to make plans. Talking with a very knowledgeable and helpful contact person has yielded a scheduled appointment on August 9th with a specialist in follicular lymphoma. It's not a surprise that the initial appointment is a month away (been there done that) and as long as J continues to feel fine, I'm comfortable with the schedule. Stanford already has the records and is sending for his pathology slides. I'm confirming what has and hasn't been sent with our local oncologist so there are no surprises or slip up.
I'm relaying the info to J via email. It's too bad that his time zone is seven hours different, but what would we do without the computer to communicate?! I'm hoping that having some solid plans relieves his mind and allows him to concentrate on his field work.
July will be our first doctor-free month since October. August will see us starting another round of clinics and tests. Keep your fingers crossed!
The scan showed a mass that might have been some dying tissue, as hoped, but also a solid mass that was probably still active lymphoma. Phooey.
It made the oncologist uneasy that it hadn't continued to respond to the chemo so it was time for a PET scan which would show us if the remaining mass was metabolically active aka cancer. That was in early June and on the no-news-is-good-news assumption we headed out to see that darling grandchild, but when we returned there were messages on our answering machine--we'd missed the doctor's call that it was active and he was arranging another biopsy.
Fortunately there was enough time before J's field work to get another CT-guided needle biopsy and receive the pathology report. Our doctor knew when J was leaving so he made sure he called the evening before with the news that the biopsy still confirmed a slow-growing lymphoma and showed no change to a more aggressive form. But he wanted to refer J to a specialist at either Stanford or UCSF. He felt since the indolent lymphoma wasn't responding to the treatment as it theoretically should have, that a specialist was the obvious next step.
Even though we knew beforehand that J still was having a bit of pain, that the mass was probably active, and were thinking that consulting a specialist was probably a smart thing to do...it is still a kick in the pants to hear your oncologist confirm all that and face a new unknown. It felt like starting all over again.
We didn't know whether it would be Stanford or SF. Or what doctor he'd see. Or when. Or what they'd find.
And added to that was a scheduled three weeks in the field and the uncertainty of when he'd need to come back. Fortunately, he's working for a very understanding group who would (continue) to work around J's medical appointments.
It was a relief to hear back quickly this week from Stanford and begin to make plans. Talking with a very knowledgeable and helpful contact person has yielded a scheduled appointment on August 9th with a specialist in follicular lymphoma. It's not a surprise that the initial appointment is a month away (been there done that) and as long as J continues to feel fine, I'm comfortable with the schedule. Stanford already has the records and is sending for his pathology slides. I'm confirming what has and hasn't been sent with our local oncologist so there are no surprises or slip up.
I'm relaying the info to J via email. It's too bad that his time zone is seven hours different, but what would we do without the computer to communicate?! I'm hoping that having some solid plans relieves his mind and allows him to concentrate on his field work.
July will be our first doctor-free month since October. August will see us starting another round of clinics and tests. Keep your fingers crossed!
