No hepatic lesions...O, the Joy!

For the first time in a long time, some very good diagnostics. Many have heard this story, but if you haven’t…
the best comparison is simply to re-type the important segments of the two comparative PET scans. I’ll skip all the information about how the images were obtained or how much radioactive sugar was involved.

October 17, 2007:

Findings: …There are at least three focal areas of increased tracer uptake within the liver. One is located along the superior margin, right lobe just beneath the diaphragm. Another lesion is within the medial segment, left lobe of the liver. There is one, or possibly two adjacent lesions within the lateral segment, left lobe of the liver….
(It then goes on to talk about no additional sites, and suggest that neither the neck, chest nor abdomen contain any other metastatic lesions…)

Impression: There are at least three metabolically active metastatic lesions scattered throughout the liver as discussed above…

May 27, 2008

Findings: …The hepatic lesions identified on the previous PET scan are not apparent today. Mild uptake is seen in the rib area, however the patient has had recent trauma and I suspect healing results in this mild degree of isotope uptake….

(Same comments about head, neck, pelvis, etc…)

Impression: No definite hepatic lesions evident this time. This demonstrates marked improvement in comparison with the previous PET scan.

So there is good news, and then there is a surprise that is more embarrassing than anything else. It turns out that when I didn’t catch myself when I fell down in Ontario, I landed on with my left wrist at my ribcage and probably cracked a rib while I was doing all that fun dental trauma, as well. Trust me, I’ll take “mild uptake in the rib area” as compared with “metastatic lesions scattered throughout the liver” any day.

Dr. Chang and I discussed the plan for the next few months. We considered one more cycle of the erbitux in June, but it would complicate the vocal cord “fix.” He recommended that we just start our “summer hiatus” now, and come back in August for another PET scan. That will determine whether further erbitux would be needed in the fall. I’ll probably need some level of “protection” chemotherapy at that stage, but we won’t know whether to include the erbitux until we get the next PET scan. He is comfortable, and so am I, with the three month interlude…and if we need to get pimply and hit the liver again in the fall, that’s life on my journey.

Next stop, a voice that I can share the news on the phone. I cannot, in any way, thank all of you enough for your prayers, kind words of support, phone calls, cards…and being a part of my care team. No matter whether it is a golf day in Coeur d’Alene, a trip to Boston, a surprise text message, or lunch to share good news with my ladylove…EVERYONE has played a part in making this happen.

We are not “done.” There will be no talk of “remission” for the time being. We still have miles to go before we sleep in peace, but this is a terrific way-station on the journey. I compare it to William Clark, knowing that he was only halfway done when the Corps of Discovery got to the mouth of the Columbia:

“O, the joy!” “We are in view of the ocean.” That great Pacific Ocean for which we have so long been anxious to see.” “And the roaring, or noise of the waves…may be heard distinctly…”