Pathologist #1 – the biopsy. At the time of the biopsy of the mass in the gland, we knew the both were going to be removed. The biopsy would drive HOW they were removed. An out-patient procedure versus an in-patient event. The pathologist found the results to be suspicious, but with no certain diagnosis. What he found though was suspicious enough to not only do an in-patient event surgery (just one night and I’m recovering splendidly) to remove the gland and tumor, but to also move the surgery up.
Pathologist #2 – the surgery. During surgery, the gland was removed and the tumor immediately biopsied. The pathologist would help to determine the number of nearby lymph nodes to be removed. The report was inconclusive. First they thought lymphoma, but then dismissed it. Then something else, and just weren’t sure. The lymph nodes looked clean. Only a few nearby the gland were removed.
Pathologist #3 – after surgery. A local lab did a more thorough study of the removed tumor. That pathologist believes it to be something called Ewings Sarcoma. This is a troubling diagnosis because: It’s rare. It’s aggressive. When it occurs, it’s usually in kids/teens. Even then, it’s more often in males. And, even with that, it usually starts in or near bones. I am 45, female, and we found it in a gland. So, what the heck, right? Because of this, the slides were sent to a specialist that studies sarcomas.
Pathologist #4 – Boston. The special pathologist in this area is studying the slides sent to him. Well, he’d like to. Unfortunately, he had a family emergency in another country and, since then, Winter storms are making it difficult to return to his lab and my problems. We are waiting.
Tumor Review Board. I am very lucky to have in my town an excellent cancer research center associated with St Luke’s. Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI – pronounced Misty). Oncologist #1 has taken my case to the Tumor Review Board where all the best experts meet weekly to discuss treatment approaches for unique or special cases. Some have claimed it for years… I am a special case.
A follow up PET scan found something weird in my arm. Possibly an enchondroma. These can show up in kids (for real? another kid thing?), but are usually nothing. It happens and can just be there and never turn into anything or, you know, it can. An x-ray of the weirdness suggests some “irregularities” in the upper part of the bone. An MRI will give more information. That’s tomorrow!!
In the meantime, we wait for input from the dude in Boston. We also wait to learn more about the thing in my arm (my humerus bone, by the way). The Tumor Board, given everything they know right now and having looked at my test results together (this is why we do group projects in school, kids), have determined that I will likely start with a 12-week chemotherapy treatment.
We will learn more about that next week. We may learn other things in between, but for now, that is where we are at.
The plan is to plan for as much normal as possible. As Kathy and I look ahead, we are planning our first weekend camping trip of the season next month. We are looking forward to our nephew’s high school graduation in June. I am eagerly looking forward to attending ALA meetings as planned. My place of work is astoundingly flexible to allow me to care for my work and for myself at the same time.
We have worries and fears, yes. But, we also have more blessings than we could count.