We met with the oncologist yesterday, here in Virginia. His plan is to enter into a new round of chemotherapy, using two different drugs and introducing immunotherapy as well. The chemo drugs for the first round were intended to compliment the radiation treatments, but since I will not be getting any more radiation, the cocktail is getting switched out. He feels that this new batch of chemo/immunotherapy will help to further knock down the cancer and prevent it from growing, while the immunotherapy is designed to expose the cancer (that has a sneaky way of hiding from the body's immune system) and making sure the body can join in the fight.
But he was also very honest. While he hopes to proven wrong, he doesn't think it's going to be cleared enough to make me a candidate for surgery (and even that is not a guaranteed solution) or that it is going to be completely beaten, not at this stage IV point. It's going to be a matter of keeping it check, and impeding growth, and improving quality of life for.....? number of years. Maybe I'll get 20. Maybe I'll get 5. We don't know. But we'll go through this next round and then they'll do another scan in three months and see how effective the treatments are working. One of the positive notes here is that, unlike most (the typical) stage IV esophageal cancer patients, it has not spread into my lungs, or liver. The chemotherapy should make it so that remains true.
Eating has taken an unfortunate turn. I've been having terrible, at times excruciating, pain in my chest/esophagus when I swallow food - doesn't matter if it's peanut butter and jelly. That's led to me eating less by mouth, or sometimes throwing up what I just ate, which is not good. I am fighting and scrapping for every calorie. So, I've had to go back to doing some of the tube feeds again. But the doctor gave me a throat coat medicine that seemed to work last night. I was able to eat without pain. So, we'll see. He's also calling for another endoscopy, to go in and just check what's going on in there to make sure it's not an infection or anything.
I meet with a Johns Hopkins oncologist tomorrow, to get a second opinion. We're assuming that his approach is not going to be any different from our doctor here, but at Johns Hopkins, they also have their finger on the pulse of upcoming clinicals, etc. The doctors at the two different institutions seem to communicate, so having that wider circle of professionals is definitely advantageous.
As far as treatments, we're looking at probably starting them at the end of June. We have no idea how they're going to make me feel, how my body is going to react. Sounds like it would be every three weeks, instead of every week. I can't say that I'm looking forward to entering that arena again, but without starting these treatments, I'm on the fast track to the final curtain. So, treatments it is.
In the meantime, we're trying to hold on and hold each other. Trying to comprehend the reality of the interloper who has hijacked everything and isn't going away; that this third wheel is going to be with us as long as my story remains written. But as tough as it at times, we keep finding some way forward.
Your rally call to our Go Fund Me has been amazing! Thank you so much! Again, you are lifesavers and we'll never be able to thank you enough. Please consider sharing the link. I know many of you have already.
As always, thanks for reading, and commenting, and sending Jess and me your love and support. We know we don't walk alone.
- j