Some of this I've already covered in a previous blog, but all of it fits with the story of this posting:
Monday, August 31, Deb and I visit my E/N/T guy to talk about the excision (i.e., removal) of the squamous cell carcinoma on my right chin line. As mentioned before, this is a very common cancer, and one that is normally easily handled -- especially when caught early, which this one certainly was. On the surface, it's a little bigger than the diameter of a pencil, but I have no idea how deep it may be.
Several questions have arisen in regards to this tumor -- which is a considerably different type of cancer from the one I've just been treated for. Question #1, which came from a dear friend recently, is: "How can I be just recovering from radiation and chemo for this one kind of cancer and have another type show up so quickly? Why didn't the radiation and chemo kill whatever cancer cells were there?" Follow-on questions include: Is it possible that the two cancers are related? That one may have triggered the other? Or did the treatment for the first cancer trigger the new one? and Should I expect to have other squamous cell cancers show up any time soon?
It was such a relief to find out that this cancer was not like the other one that I'm afraid I just didn't extend my thinking far enough: if it isn't like Cancer A, what the heck is it doing on my face now?
(Anyone out there with some experience that might shed light on this is more than welcome to chime in at this point!!)
Needless to say, I'm hoping that my doc has some good solid answers backed up by lots of experience and maybe even some data...
Anyway, that's how Monday should go. And then Tuesday is the actual operation, which is an outpatient procedure. (And that's encouraging!)
Stuck in the middle of all this is the issue of the blood-thinning medication (Coumadin) that I've been taking for over a month for the blood clot in my leg. There is some discrepancy between my docs as to the best way to handle this: (obviously, having blood that doesn't clot normally isn't a great condition in which to undergo any surgery...) so they've taken me off the Coumadin for a couple of days (exact time to be decided later...) and put me back on the Lovenox -- which I self-inject with a hypodermic twice a day.
So I'm back to shooting myself.
As always, prayers and kind thoughts are more than welcome!!
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Just a thought. If further radiation treatment is needed, perhaps your amalgam fillings should be replaced by, I think they are called composites? Then deflected radiation won't be all over. My composites were put in with a light activated system and were fairly quick and easy replacements of the silver amalgams. They have lasted without problems for many years now. And a good dentist should be able to do it quickly in such a situation without making you wait to see him or her. Again, just a thought. - H
ReplyDeleteYou're keeping track of a lot of factors here, and you do seem to have your plans and questions all in order. Your questions about whether the two cancers have any connection with each other have been on my mind as well, so I will be looking online for any helpful information.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting these details as you lead into the upcoming surgery. You are remarkably proactive.
Kindness and prayer, nonstop,
Lisa
Hi Randy -
ReplyDeleteAre you seeing Dr. Chuma today? If so, perhaps he'll be able to help you and Deb out with these questions. I know you'll be prepared with your list!
xo
martha