Journal
Appointment Update:
I followed up today with my OG Doctor at Hopkins. We've become close since he's been scoping up my nose to look at tumors. Even though I hear the Covid testing is no fun, it kind of sounds like a walk in the park compared to tumor-gazing through the nostril.
Anyway, he basically followed up with everything the neurosurgeon already told us...Oncology will take the lead first and hopefully the tumor shrinks enough that surgery won't be necessary at all. He confirmed the plan for Induction Chemotherapy and went over the newest studies that that support this treatment plan. Apparently, he also knows the doctors who wrote those papers and worked on those studies because they trained with him at Hopkins.
He reviewed the PET scan and confirmed the findings. The tumor showed up. My lymph nodes were reactive but not likely involved in the cancer (Doc says they are a bit enflamed and I can blame him for the biopsy). There's a nodule on my thyroid that needs attention.
Staging: Staging of the cancer is complicated because it's not a single number. The tumor itself is staged and then the involvement of lymph nodes and and metastasis is taken into account. The PET scan showed no involvement of cancer growth outside of my tumor and no involvement of lymph nodes. The tumor itself it at a higher stage simply because of the location of it.
The plan: See an endocrinologist to follow up on the PET scan thyroid findings. He said I could see someone local for that.
Dr. I takes to the sideline right now and Dr. S takes the lead. I follow up with scans after chemo is over and then he gets to put his scope up my nose again (so fun!).
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