4th Time is a Charm?

So I had appointment with yet another (medical) oncologist. This time went a lot better. This oncologist was patient, very articulate, and strategic. He is open to many options and is hopeful that I will continue to respond well. I will be making the switch to this new doctor pronto. I'm still waiting to hear from Uof M.

Sorry this is short, but that is all the updates that I have for now. Please keep the prayers and positive thoughts coming!

Love and prayers,
Holly

When is it ok?

Excuse me while I rant for a minute...As most of you know, my phone is currently broken. I went to Verizon today to order my replacement. I had to explain to the person helping me that I need a phone in the meantime due to my diagnosis. (I'm awaiting test results and consult phone calls). To which he promptly asked "what's your prognosis?" You don't know how often I get this question. It basically means "when do you think you'll die?" Since when is it OK to ask a complete stranger this? I want to reply "Hmmmm...you smoke, eat greasy food, have high blood pressure...when do you think you'll die?" If that's not OK to ask, then IT IS NOT OK to ask about my prognosis.

*Ok, rant over*

No real updates to report at this point, but of course, I'll keep you updated! Please keep up prayers and positive thoughts that I find a helpful and hopeful oncologist!!!

Love and prayers,
Holly

I Should Have Known Better

My second opinion with the medical oncologist went HORRIBLE. Essentially he was upset that I sought out the surgical oncologist. He accused the surgical oncologist of giving me false hope and that he shouldn't be giving me such advice since he is a SURGEON and not a MEDICAL oncologist. I am SO SICK of people explaining the difference between a surgical and medical doctor. I am a nurse after all. I might have picked up the difference somewhere down the line. He further more said that radiation or surgery of any kind would not be helpful. Over, and over, and over again he repeated himself to ensure that any hope that I had left was stamped out. He said "why change what is already working?" I dunno...maybe so I can live a longer life?! He also said they'll continue to treat me medically until I no longer respond to the medication. Super. Very uplifting. Thanks for that.

As easy as it would be to give up, I'm not going to. I'm seeking out another opinion at a different hospital. I informed the surgical oncologist of the appointment, and he said they will continue to advocate on my behalf and that medical oncologists tend to be more pessimistic because they see a lot of sad cases. However, he said to keep my chin up, there's a subgroup of patients that do well and there's no reason to believe that I might not be in that group. I just ask that you keep me in your prayers that I find the right "medical" doctor who will help me in this fight! A BIG THANK YOU to the surgeons who are fighting along with me and allowing me some hope in this situation!

Love and prayers,
Holly

Second Opinion Updates

I've been asking for a second opinion for a while. Finally, I heard from Karmanos, a specialist cancer hospital in the Detroit area. I waited months to hear from them...when they finally contacted me, they said they were not taking second opinions due to their long waiting list. However, they said, an oncologist there did look at my case and agreed with the care provided by my local oncologist. This saddened me a bit because I felt like I was just waiting for the cancer to return, which my oncologist said undoubtedly will happen.

So in my last post, I talked about going to see a surgical oncologist. Well, I finally did yesterday. Firstly, they explained that I've responded really well to the chemo. More so than I was led to believe. They pulled up my scans, and they showed the cancer almost completely gone in both the colon and the lungs. We then discussed multiple options, including more aggressive chemo, radiation, and surgery. They also informed me that I have a rather atypical type of cancer that might be more receptive to treatment. Furthermore, they believe with aggressive treatment, my chance of survival will greatly increase, and there is a small chance for a cure. They referred me to a different oncologist that specializes in colon cancer. I'll start with a more aggressive chemo regimen. If that doesn't work, they might try radiation. If there is any cancer left, then we'll discuss surgery. This appointment gave me something that I have not had in a long time...hope. I couldn't believe the options they offered. I've asked my current oncologist about all of these, and she has said because of being stage IV, they weren't options for me. I am so happy to have these doctor's who are able to look at my case individually instead of just treating me like a typical cancer patient, which I am not. With my renewed sense of hope, I begin the second stage of my journey which will begin with the oncology consult. Please keep up the prayers, God definitely has a plan.

Love and prayer,
Holly

It's been a while...

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Things are going ok. I'm scared of the cancer coming back or my lungs getting worse. I have an appointment with a surgical oncologist in a few weeks to talk about possible surgery. In other news, John and I bought a house that needs a lot of help. Our families and friends have been awesome in helping us with renovations. There is still a lot that needs to be done. The painters are coming this week, but they are doubtful as to whether or not they'll be able to get the whole house done. Soooo...if anyone loves to paint, swing on by! I'll work better on keeping this blog updated. Hope everyone is doing well!

Love and prayers,
Holly