Tuesday, July 27, 2010

No Chemo

Mike & I just got back from meeting with the oncologist.  Based on the original findings, Mike is rated at a T2,N0 - or Stage 1 colon cancer.  That alone is HUGE considering there was some time spent thinking he was Stage 3, but hoping for Stage 2.  We still don't have the results of the second biopsy that was done on the nodes, but Dr Arbaje didn't seem overly concerned about that.  Apparently, I'm the only one that is.  For some reason I'm having a hard time just accepting things as they are and I wish I knew why. 

Actually, I think I do know.  I think I was hoping for a concrete answer, which I should have known wouldn't happen based on the ups and downs of this past month.  I wanted to hear "this is the treatment, it will take this long and we will follow-up with scheduled screenings".  Instead we were told that while the main tumor that was removed and the surrounding areas are no longer an issue, the polyp that was removed from the lower end of Mike's colon and tested positive is of concern.  However, because Mike is only Stage 1, chemo is not an option despite concern there may be cancer cells left from the  polyp.  In addition, there is still the genetic counseling and subsequent testing to be done at a later date.

I am absolutely thankful the surgery went so well and the tumor is gone and it appears the lymph nodes were not involved so Mike won't have to go through the horror of chemo.  I guess I'm struggling with not having a specific plan.  You'd think I'd have learned by now - it is what it is.

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