Kris - Re: 's Update #2

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Hi Kris,

Kris wrote:

<<If they are only going to treat a very small area, and especially

if it won't involve the stomach, I bet gi signs won't be an issue

for you.>>

That's kinda what I'm hoping. The rad onc is still a little unclear

about this, so I will have to probe a bit further! I guess the

concern is the " lowness " of the L4 lumbar met, and where the other

end of that beam will be coming out. Somehow, everything I hear from

oncologists changes a bit from visit to visit (anybody else notice

that, lol!), so even when I THINK I've FINALLY gotten it all

straight, everything changes again and a new twist comes in...

<<I still am so impressed that you have gone so very long with no

chemotherapy. I was just reading elsewhere about a 42 old lady with

20 plus lung mets, 5 liver mets plus some lymph node involvment at

initial diagnosis who is now 14mth later NED on PET/CT with

oxaliplatin/5FU and liver nodule resection. So I'm with you, don't

give up hope for some sort of longer term remission>>

Thanks, Kris...that's what I'm hoping for too. It may be if I could

get Avastin next year in combination with Oxaliplatin and Xeloda, the

new combination would work even better yet. The best Avastin results

were seen as part of " 1st line therapy " ...for me, Xeloda is

considered " 1st line " I suppose, but Oxal/Avastin would be a

reasonable next step. My primary difficulty will be in finding out

how to get it off insurance, since they have been pretty reluctant to

pay for any of this stuff!

The decisions I made regarding chemo could have been a partial

mistake. Xeloda has not really compromised my quality of life, and

may well have maintained it longer had I began therapy last

Spring/Summer (could I have prevented my Sept hospitalization?). It

is just so difficult to look back and say what " should " or " should

not " have been done. I guess if I had it to do over again, I would

have probably started the Xeloda a little sooner. Not sure what to

think of the IV chemos though. Oxal seems quite an improvement over

Camptosar for most, but still some nasty side effects from what I

hear!

And another thing I've really been wondering about...

The oncologist STILL hasn't done another CT or PET scan (except the

spinal MRI which shows NOTHING except the spine) since Sept. I

suppose they have a " comparitor " scan (for my next scan) which was

done in the hospital. Anyway, onc says I may as well wait until end

of current Xeloda cycle before doing another one...so there's going

to be a little more time before I find out what is REALLY happening

with me. Is it " remission " or is it " disaster " ?!! For now, in this

beautiful holiday season, I'm going to take the positive track and

assume " remission " (until someone proves to me otherwise!).

Kris wrote:

<<he did not want to treat the large lymph node in my chest (he

didn't want to damage more of my bone marrow)>>

Rad onc mentioned that as a potential problem for me too. Hoping in

2 weeks everything comes and goes so fast that nothing bad happens!

Kris wrote:

<<Here I am 7 mth later doing well !>>

EXCELLENT, I am so happy for you!!! (Just hope I can do so well

myself!)

Kris wrote:

<<Tis the season of miracles.>>

Indeed so, my friend. May all of us receive that which we need!

Best Wishes,