Week of Doctors

This week is filled with scans and blood work and discussions with doctors. Monday and Friday are the only "free" days. We'll be working this morning, once I wake up and rub the sleepy from my eyes, to fill up today and Friday with things we want to get done.

Tomorrow is my first CT scan after starting Torisel. The doctor and I agreed to do a scan after four treatments, after four weeks of Torisel. The oncologist reminded me that four weeks is not a very long time. He said that he'd be surprised if he saw much shrinkage of the tumors in my liver at this point. But he is hoping to see stabilization.

The health campus where I regularly have scans is so busy that they had to send me to the Women's and Babies' Hospital right next to the Health Campus near the Park City Mall. I've almost been to every facility now, for almost every type of treatment.

We should have results on Wednesday.

Wednesday will take me to the main hospital in downtown Lancaster to meet with a Dr. Burbolowsonaokeiswkdifjkslawerski, an interventional radiologist. I'm going to have to work on pronouncing his name before then.

The interventional radiologist and I are planning on discussing the possibilities of doing the ablation procedure to all or some of my existing tumors.

My oncologist isn't real big on this move because he argues that the cancer is obviously throughout my blood stream anyway, so going after the tumors will have little effect.

But I've heard and read the other side to that argument, with proof that going after the immediate threats can extend a kidney cancer patient's life. From what I've read, the radiologist is likely to be concerned about the size of the tumors and the locations of the tumors (for example the fact that there are three in the liver and one in the left lung - separate organs).

I also hope to speak to the radiologist, Dr. B., about a new type of radiation that combines scanning with precise radiation to deliver a knock-out punch to tumors with less effect to surrounding, healthy cells.

We'll see. At some point during my visit to the Women's and Babies' facility I'll need to have a couple tubes of blood drawn for my weekly blood tests.

Thursday will make three days in a row of doctors with a visit to my oncologist, and my weekly IV drip bag of Torisel. My regular oncologist is on vacation. He went home to India to visit his mother. So I'll meet for the second time with another oncologist. He looks to me like Doogie Howser, but has a good reputation, and our first meeting went well.

It should be an interesting week. But by Friday I'm sure I'll have had enough of doctors for a little bit.

I'll keep you all apprised through the week, through this blog. And thanks again to everyone for all the wonderful support. It keeps me fighting!