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When not if.
We just met with my Dick’s oncologist and I asked about treating the CIS in the ureters and kidneys and he said that is a minor issue next to the fact that his cancer had metastasized to his lung. He and the urologist agree there is no point to treating the cancer in the bladder and ureters/renal pelvis as that would not change the outcome and would adversley affect my husbands quality of life. So that leaves us waiting for periodic scans to check for new sites. The oncologist is concerned about the lung and lymph nodes and warned us that multiple sites might occur at the same time. Multiple sites would mean chemo instead of surgery. Surgery was successful with the lung tumor because there was only one site and the thoracic surgeon is a specialist in lung cancer and minimally invasive surgery. There is no way to predict when the cancer will appear again but the longer he goes without a site the more likely that treatment would help. If one site only appears surgery might help again.
Not comforting words but truthful. We are living with bladder cancer not dying of it!
Volunteer Coordinator
ABLSC4 Replies-
Ginger,
It is a lot to take in however it is somewhat a rehash of what we already knew. It just takes repeating several times to really take in the implications.
So far he has been up to social outings. Usually better if he only has one outing a day. More tires him out quite a bit.
I am making sure I am getting some R & R. You take care of you too. Julie
Volunteer Coordinator
ABLSC
The current plan is to do scans every 4 months. The next one is scheduled for May. That’s right no chemo so far just the lung surgery to take out a tumor.
Volunteer Coordinator
ABLSCJulie,
Thats alot to digest in one visit, whatever the case I will be thinking about you and Dick. If he is up to a little get together next week it would be great, I will call you! TAKE CARE OF YOU TOO!!!! Ginger
Julie,
I’m sorry that you didn’t get better news today. The hardest part seems to be the “what ifs” and “whens” etc….basically, the unknown. How often will they be doing scans? I’m unsure if I understood correctly that there has been no chemo thus far? Thinking of you and Dick.Sign In to reply.
