More Answers...More Questions

Hey everyone. Well...I mentioned in my last post that I would be going through a series of tests to figure out exactly why my tumor markers started going up again. Turns out there is some good news and some...not so good news (I don't like saying bad news).

I was worried that the current experimental treatment I've been on had failed and the cancer had continued spreading in my liver. Turns out I was wrong. A CT scan taken this past Monday actually revealed that the largest tumor had shrunk considerably, and smaller spots that were suspicious for disease had disappeared completely. Great news, right? Yes, except it doesn't explain why my tumor markers were going up.

Here's the not so good news. Since the lungs/abdomen appeared to have significantly improved, my doctor had me check the brain again with an MRI, and one tumor has been spotted. I will be going in next Wednesday to have it treated by gamma knife radiosurgery.

Now this isn't my first rodeo...it's the third brain tumor I've had, the first of which caused a major seizure, and my third gamma-knife radiation procedure. If you're wondering why this has happened to me 3 times now, it is because at some point in the past few years, tumor cells entered my brain and nested there in various locations, most of which laying dormant. Now, these tumors are manifesting themselves little by little, and there really isn't anything I can do about it right now. My best strategy is to monitor and treat on a case-by-case basis, hoping that sooner or later they stop coming.

To be fair, there is one thing I could do, but it would involve radiating my entire brain and putting me at risk for serious side effects later on in life, and I'm not willing to make that choice unless it's the only one on the table, especially since it doesn't guarantee that future problems won't arise.

I mentioned more questions in my blog post title. There really is only one question in my mind - how many brain tumors will I have to deal with? And the answer is, I have no idea. Nobody does. That's part of this whole "being patient" thing I've had to learn how to do. I need to have faith that one day they will stop coming. It is possible.

So, to recap, I thought my treatment was failing, but it turns out my markers are increasing due to the brain tumor. The treatment itself appears to be working, and the plan is to keep going, as long as my body can take it. We'll treat the brain on Wednesday of next week, and then continue to monitor it through MRIs and treat on an as-needed basis.

More next week.