Cancer Update - April 2003

Dear Loved Ones,
First and foremost, I want to thank every one of you so much for all the support these last couple weeks. When we got the big phone call, it was quite a shock, and it has taken some time for it all to sink in. I want you to know, though, that the more I learn about this and educate myself about it, the better I feel about it, and the more confident I am that it's beat-able. My attitude right now is pretty positive.
Here's the latest: I had a CT scan last Monday and it showed the cancer is spread throughout my lymphatic system, but there is no organ involvement at this point. The bone marrow sample they took came back negative for malignancy as well, I was VERY happy about that. When you get this type of cancer, they "stage" it on a scale of 1-4, with 1 being the best case scenario (tumors localized in one area) and 4 being the worst case scenario (it has spread outside the lymphatic system with organ or bone marrow involvement). I am at a stage 3B (the "B" means that I've had systemic, or system-wide, type symptoms, such as fatigue, fever/chills, and night sweats). Even at this advanced stage, they still give me an 85% prognosis. That means that, statistically, 85% of past cases in stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma have been cured.
I had an internal catheter put in my aorta last Thursday, which is where they'll administer the chemicals every two weeks. I get my first treatment this coming Thursday morning at 10:00. They'll give me treatments every two weeks for the next six months. At some point along the way, they'll do another CT scan to make sure it's working. At the point when the CT scan shows no more tumors, they'll give me two more treatments, then call it done. It will then be "in remission" for five years, and if there's no recurrance in that time, they'll start using the word "cured" with me. If I can get to that point, then it's life happily ever after for me. It doesn't reduce my life expectancy at all, although it does put me at a slightly higher risk to develop other types of cancers later in life. The goal of Hodgkin's disease treatment is total cure, not simply tumor mass reduction or life extension.
Due to various circumstances, I haven't actually met my oncologist yet (Dr. Mary Stewart), but I've talked with all the nurses, lab technicians, and other doctors that I've been dealing with, and they all sing her praises like she's an angel. A wonderful reputation preceeds her, so I'm not too worried. I'll meet her for the first time this Thursday when I go in for my first treatment.
I am also working with an alternative therapy doctor who will be my guiding light on nutrition and digestive enzyme therapy to support the chemotherapy. She's amazing and has given me tons of information already. It amazes me how much we study diet and nutrition in our society and yet so many of us really haven't a clue. I want to encourage all of you to go to this website and educate yourself a little bit, just about digestive enzymes, and what they do: www.loomisenzymes.com I think you'll be surprised. We try so hard to eat healthy, and although it's not rocket science, it is difficult to do 100% correctly in a Western civilized society. Much of our food is over processed, especially when we eat out in restaurants and such. But the key is, if your body toxic and is not digesting well, it doesn't matter how good you eat, it doesn't do much good. My goal with the alternative therapy is just to be the healthiest cancer patient I can be, if there is such a thing. Chemotherapy is poison. Basically, they try to kill the cancer before they kill you. I want my organs to be as healthy as can be so they can process the toxins quickly and get them out of my body, and that's where Dr. Miller comes in. Fatigue is one of the most severe side effects of chemo, so the nutritional support should also help me with energy levels so I can continue to function day to day. As if it's not fatigue-ing enough, chasing two little ones around all day, eh?
They've come a very long way with chemo in the last several years and they tell me that the side effects aren't nearly as severe as they used to be. They have good ways to combat the nausea and other toxicities, without reducing the effectiveness of it. The fatigue and hair loss are still pretty inevitable, but I can deal with those. I'm kind of looking forward to not having to shave my legs for six months - ha. Needless to say, Dean's looking forward to it, too. Some nights he swears he's sleeping with a sasquatch. Ha. Actually, many people are able to continue working and living their lives fairly normally anymore when they go through this, so I really believe it will be okay. The chemo nurse tells me that if I get the chemicals on Thursdays, my worst feeling days will probably be Saturday and Sunday when my white cell count drops. As that count climbs back up again, I should start to feel better and better. So it's going to be a bit of a roller coaster the next six months, with good days and bad days.
That's about all there is to know at this point. Again, I'm pretty confident with the 85% prognosis. I feel that's a good, strong number and it makes me feel pretty confident. I really just think this is a bump in the road for me. We'll just deal with it, get through it and then get on with life. At this point, I don't believe in my heart that the Lord intends to take me home with this one, although I haven't figured out yet why I'm supposed to go through this trial. I'm sure it will be revealed to me when the time is right. The Lord commanded us to be strong and of good faith, for He is with us wherever we go. I'm trying.
Thanks again, from the bottom of my heart, for caring so much. I'll keep you posted as often as I can. I love you all.
Tiff