We - Paul, Charlie and I - left for my appointment with Dr. Allen (surgeon) at 10 am....got to MSKCC a few minutes early which was good because Paul had a casting call (I'll never get acting vocab right) at 1 pm - downtown and we were - uptown! Waited for over an hour, then went for the pre-admission testing and waited over an hour, again! I was done at 5 pm -- RUSH HOUR!!! so we went to dinner...great restaurant and very good food. Even though I would have rather been home eating my own cooked dinner I enjoyed it. Charlie laughed and said this is the 3rd time we've eaten out....because of my NY appointments!!! Arrived home at 8:45 pm! The dogs were so excited to see Charlie/us!!!
Dr. Allen told me about this hepatic arterial pump....it's the size of a hockey puck and it is inserted in the belly - left side, between my waist and hip. He has to do a 'full' cut! due to scar tissue - meaning I will be in the hospital for 4 - 6 days and then about a month recovering....but in two weeks after the surgery, the staples come out and I should get my first dose of chemo. I'm going to try to get the chemo there (in NY) then in two weeks go to Sparta to have it flushed...then two weeks later -- back to the city....etc.....in 3 to 6 months they will do an MRI (this pump is titanium and not metal so they can do that - but they prefer to do a CT scan but being that I'm allergic to the contrast iodine...they can't!)...to see if they can stop the chemo for a short time or continue. Dr. Allen suggested that I see this oncologist BEFORE my surgery - to discuss the chemo and empty/flushing....I believe he said that if I go to Sparta she will get someone from Sloan to train someone in Sparta....something like that! I'd much rather go to Sparta rather than going back and forth to NY.... It's so draining! - all this waiting! The chemo only takes about 10 to 15 minutes to administer - then your done! Now, depending on the time I have an appointment.....we'll see if its good or not!
This is so depressing....not for me, I can handle this - scarred body! but I feel so badly for my family! Coming to the appointments with me and just having to be around for me and worrying. I am so use to do my own thing - whenever - and now I have to depend on someone....and they have to re-arrange their schedules....life isn't fair! When I told Paul this - he said he didn't and would never mind doing this for his mom!!! How sweet was that!!!! and I'm sure he really meant it!
I asked Dr. Allen why we didn't do this in the first place...during or around the liver resection...he said because I lived too far (my excuse) and Sloan is the only hospital that does these pumps!!! Oh, he also said while he is inserting the cath into the artery he will try to ablate the two lesions...easier to ablate while I'm 'open' - he can actually see what he's doing rather than what Dr. Brown did...
This pump is one of the newest tech developments with colon cancer in the liver and they say that it has extended the life span of this type of cancer by ten years!
Okay, I left you with the positive thoughts!!! and much more are needed!!!!! I still believe in miracles!!!!
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