We spent five hours at Kaiser Baldwin Park preparing for the removal of Jon's tumor on February 14th. The skin on Jon's left glut needs to heal adequately to avoid wound complications after surgery. This delay between radiation and surgery is mentally challenging; but Jon is trying to be patient. The chest CT scan was clear, which is great news. The tumor is slightly smaller than it was in October. Given sarcomas can grow at expeditious rates, this is hopeful.
When the tumor is removed, the doctors will not know if necrosis (death of cells) was due to radiation or chemotherapy. We are forced to live in the ambiguity...and this is hard. After surgery, the oncologist and Jon will come to the table to discuss the next phase of treatment. If all goes as planned, Jon will have four more rounds of chemotherapy.
This blog is a challenging line to navigate. Jon and I (as his wife) can hear the exact same piece of news and interpret it differently. In the end, Jon and his doctors will make the best decision. Jon and I have both agreed that this journey leaves us on opposite sides of the table (different vantage points). He is the only one "going through" treatment....Even though we have parallel experiences, we are in this together.
Jon asked if he could see the tumor and the surgeon explained that it would be frozen by the time he came out of anesthesia. The tumor will be removed with a 1cm margin and immediately sent to the pathologist (while Jon is on the table). If the margins are clear (without cancer cells), Jon will be stitched up. If the margins are not clear, the surgeon will carve out a bit more.
It's a tough road but you have many, many supporters of you both.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Monday Feb 4th is World Cancer Day. See link: http://wcd2013.standup2cancer.org/
Wow! What a coming Valentines that'll be, ay?
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear the Apples-to-Apples CT scan is showing it shrank!! I would think that's not just great news but amazing given the kind of tumor.
The ambiguity is always hard, we... want ... to ... Know. Of course this is worse since if we could only know then it would help choosing the next stage of treatment.
And not being able to see that valentine-red chuck of yourself seems yet another bitter piece of this journey. So, so sorry.
Here's to hoping the next steps in this journey feel less like being on opposite sides of the table, and more like a trip with amounts of daylight between you that vary from time to time.
We out here at the distance of a canyon from you guys can only imagine how hard all your lines are to walk in these days.
With love and light from the McLaughlins.
You will be the focus of my thoughts/prayers on Feb 14
ReplyDeleteAlways always thinking of you two, Caleb and Zaya.
ReplyDeleteAw, didn't mean to make you feel you had to update the blog!
ReplyDeleteWe all out here love you and are so grateful you let us be a part of your terrible, necessary journey through these posts. It will be a legacy for those who come after you, too.
We're ticking off the days to V-Day with you, anticipating and hoping for good news.
Hang in there.
Love and Light from the McLaughlins.