The Treatment Plan

Seems everyday I have a new learning experience.  This latest field trip called "Cancer"  has been a real education.  It is simply amazing how our bodies work.  Each part working with the others to keep us functioning. Then the wonders of how God knew to make 2 kidneys and 1 liver.  How would God know or why would God do that?  I am also amazed how much doctors have learned about cancer since the 1980s and yet how much is still unknown. 
The source of my cancer having been removed, the right kidney, it is possible the tumors in my lungs and the lymph node there may begin to shrink, but not likely.  So my oncologist and I discussed a treatment plan to take care of the renal cell cancer (RCC) that had metastasized (traveled to) my lungs and lymph node within my lung.  We reviewed several options and I decided on the High Dose Interleukin 2 (HDIL2) though the research shows only a 12% cure rate, it does have the highest success with the RCC clear cell cancers.  Other options where more on going and I preferred to have it done and over with as soon as possible.  If this doesn't show promise after my month out scan, we will look at other options.
Before I begin treatments  will have another MRI of my brain; the only place we haven't looked at is the brain and the bones. We may as well see what is going on up there- I wasn't born blond, but I do have plenty of blond moments!    Then another CT scan of my abdominal & chest areas to see if there are any changes in the tumor sizes- praying for shrinkage.....

Should there not be any changes in the tumors we will begin treatment.   It is my understanding the IL2 is a protein that our bodies make, this high dose sort of kick starts the immune system to begin fighting the offending cancer cells in the body. So it is not a Chemo treatment, but rather a protein. It is given through a PICC line every 8 hours for 5 days in the hospital. Each treatment requires about 15 minutes.  Then I will be home for 15 days, return to the hospital for another 5 day round and home again.  Four weeks later I have another scan, if we see progress we start another round of treatments, no progress, we look for other options.

Let me go back, a what line? A PICC line, a tube inserted into my arm and THREADED through my artery to my heart. My response "You're gonna what?!" "Are you going to put me out?"  "No, wha...Valium,  Can I take five?"  Yes, I hate needles, always have!  This would be what kept me from getting tattoos in my younger days.

This will be a long  road, but one that many have traveled before me some with great success. I choose to believe I will be one of those success stories.  God has brought me through so far and I will praise His name with every breath I take, with every decision that is made I trust Him to be guiding me through. 

 

I love you, God—

you make me strong.

God is bedrock under my feet,

the castle in which I live,

my rescuing knight.

My God—the high crag

where I run for dear life,

hiding behind the boulders,

safe in the granite hideout.
Psalm 18:1-2 MSG