Saw the Oncologist

OK, today I saw the oncologist. Because my HER2 receptors are ambiguous (Something he's never seen before!), he's going to jump on the pathologist to decide one way or the other. If I'm HER2 negative there are drugs he can give me, and if I'm HER2 positive there are other drugs he can give me. But to mix the right "cocktail" of chemo he needs to know for sure which genetic way my tumor tends toward, and he thinks it can't be ambiguous. They also participate in clinical trials at this location so some advanced drugs may also be available to me depending on the genetic profile.

In the mean time I have to arrange some testing to make sure my heart is strong enough for them to poison me, and not have death as a side-effect of the treatment. They drew bunches of blood for testing, and somewhere (I hope Northside Hospital.) I have to get a "port" put right straight into my aorta so that they can do blood draws and give treatment without having to search veinly for veins everytime. Since chemo can "burn" or scar veins, the port is the most convenient way to ensure there is easy access for treatment. I like easy. I also have to get a chest x-ray somewhere along the line. I have an appointment with the oncologist to go over results of various blood and other tests soon, and within the next couple weeks I'm scheduled to start chemo. AFTER the chemo, when the tumor is smaller, and it's more likely to be more tightly contained (not as spread out), then I'll do the surgical part of the treatment.

At some point in time, I know I will lose my hair. I'm happy to say I have enough hair to give my hair to "Locks of Love," so that a child with alopecia or taking chemo can have a wig. I challenge anyone with enough hair to also consider giving your hair to Locks of Love to do so. See their website at www.locksoflove.org to see if you meet their qualifications! Maybe we'll have a major haircutting party if enough people are interested! Anyone out there crochet? I'm going to be a baldy when the weather gets chilly! (Please hope it gets chilly soon! I'm about to roast!) I suspect it'll be sometime in October by the time I lose my hair, so no rush.