Life's Journey

I always forget how much I love a good lazy football Sunday until I get one. That’s exactly what we did this past weekend, it was definitely a day of rest. We went from bed to couch to “big red” chair and back to bed. It was one football game after another and watching my fantasy team kick butt!

Since my last post my recovery has been going well. I'm able to take fewer pain pills each day.  Bending is getting a little easier and stretchy wasted pants are a more viable option – lol. (it’s funny cuz it’s true) The belly button is still gross – I mean, seriously how do they do that? Stick a probe into the belly button – yucka! But, I can’t complain, I’m grateful for a surgery with minimal recovery and no complications.

I heard from Mayo Clinic regarding next steps. I am scheduled to meet with Dr. Karlin on Monday, Novemeber 5th. She is the chemo specialist at Mayo. Dr. Margrina updated her on my history and current situation. She should have some additional test results for us as well. My biopsies were sent out for additional fancy pants testing to help us determine which drugs will best fight my cancer. I’m amazed at how far treatment has come just in the past 4 years that I’ve been fighting this beast. So, here’s what we know so far regarding my treatment:

• Surgery – this is not an option for me due to the metastatic spread of the disease that was discovered during the robotic procedure
• Radiation – it seems there are a number of reasons why this is not an option but mainly because we radiated this area last year they won’t radiate it again due to the amount of damage to the tissues in this area
• Chemotherapy – this is my best option. The challenge now is to determine the best combination of drugs that will effectively fight my cancer. This is where Dr Karlin comes in… chemo is her specialty and she should be able to give us a strong treatment plan
• Clinical Trials – these are generally chemo based and are reserved for advanced cancers that haven’t responded to the traditional treatment methods listed above – yup, that’s me. But, there are specific qualifications that you have to meet in order to participate in these trials and unfortunately there isn’t a good fit for me
• Monoclonal Antibody Drugs – this is something new and somewhat experimental. Dr. Magrina spoke to us briefly about it and said Dr Karlin would discuss further but it may be a good option to consider. I hadn’t heard of this before so in true form I started researching. Here’s a link to learn more if you want to check it out. It sounds very cutting edge but maybe that’s what I need this time around.

While I don’t have all the answers right now, I’m hoping that Dr. Karlin can provide more information next week. She will be able to fill in the blanks when it comes to next steps and give us a strong treatment plan. I will take this plan back to Dr. Borst (my oncologist for the past 4 years) and his team to get their input as well. I want to be sure I’m making the best decisions possible for me.

This week I am spending my time with family and friends doing things that make me happy. I know my situation isn’t great and I will be fighting this beast every day for the rest of my life. I think I haven’t fully faced this reality yet, it’s really difficult to come to grips with. So for now I am enjoying every moment… I am not going to waste a minute.

Sending hugs and smiles,
Sarah