No book to report this week, but I do have news.
Saw my oncologist on Monday. The spot on my lung is growing. Since I have metastatic kidney cancer (apparently, I will always have this), the odds are high that the spot is kidney cancer. It could be metastatic breast cancer, or even lung cancer. They wouldn’t know without a biopsy, but since I’m being treated to keep from getting metastatic breast cancer and I don’t smoke (or aren’t near smokers), there’s no reason to put me through a biopsy when treatment will tell the answer. And yes, there is a treatment for metastatic kidney cancer. One that has a 63% chance of putting the tumor(s) into remission or dormancy.
Unfortunately… there’s this issue with my heart valve. I was looking for the go ahead to have the surgery. Well, I got it, just not the way I had hoped. My oncologist would prefer I had it fixed before I start treatment. He doesn’t want to start treatment, then pause it for surgery.
Oh, and this treatment? It’s immunotherapy given via IV every two-four weeks. And I can expect to have it the rest of my life. Fun, huh? But hey, if it will prolong my life…
Now I just have to hope that however the cardiac surgeon goes about fixing my leaky heart valve that I won’t need anti-rejection meds after. Because if I do, all that therapy treatment is null and void. And I don’t want that (and neither does my oncologist). I really hope I have options.
I started the somewhat slow process about getting my valve fixed. It took months before I was able to even see the surgeon last April, but I’m hoping my case will be pushed through more quickly this time. Yeah, I really don’t want to cancel any of our trips, but I also would like to start the treatment as soon as I can. In the meantime, I’m scheduled for another CT scan in July so my oncologist can monitor the growth.
This all sucks, you know? But hey, what can I do about it? It is what it is. I’m just thankful that my leaky heart valve was the catalyst for finding out what I have going on now. If not for that, I’d be walking around unaware that cancer was slowly killing me.
That’s a scary thought, huh?
You’re probably thinking that all of this is why I haven’t finished reading a book this week. Well, you’d be wrong. It’s just the book I’m reading has numerous grammatical errors that it keeps pulling me out of the story. If a copy editor or proof reader was used, they didn’t do a very good job. But I’m determined to finish the story; it’s just taking me a while. But I’ll have it finished by next week. I’m sure. I got a book in a series I love waiting for me to finish so I can get to it next!
So… Do you think it’s bad I have to motivate myself to finish reading a book? Would you stick with a book with numerous mistakes? Or do you not notice mistakes when you read? I found that once I started writing, I’m more critical with my reading. Before I wrote my first book, mistakes didn’t bother me, if I noticed them at all.
Happy Reading!
Stacy
5 comments:
It's not bad enough you have to deal with heart trouble and cancer but grammatical errors too. That's just wrong. :/
If I have to struggle through a book, I give it a few pages to turn itself around. If it doesn't improve I move on.
Let's get all this behind you. Book included.
That does suck. Hope they can get you in for heart surgery really soon so they can take care of the cancer. Prayers for you.
I do notice mistakes more now that I'm an author.
Maria - I guess I'm a sucker for punishment (when it comes to the book, that is). I do want to see how it ends. And it better end...
Alex - Yeah, becoming a writer has spoiled some of my reading. But then, I read more authors now than I did before, so that's good.
I hope your oncologist and your surgeon are actually communicating with each other. One of the things I felt at times when my Dad was sick was that the various docs paid no attention to each other. The immunotherapy sounds...inconvenient. Hopefully it doesn't include the sort of side effects seen with chemo or radiation.
Regarding the book I like to finish what I've started but as I've gotten older I tend to be more likely to chuck something aside. I think if the story and character is good I'm more forgiving of errors. I'd rather read a good story with errors than a bad story with flawless writing.
Jeff - My oncologist and current cardiologist know each other (although my cardiologist is leaving the service...) and they do talk about my case. Don't know if the surgeon will communicate with the oncologist, though (since the surgery will be done in the civilian sector). I'm guessing he'll just communicate with whoever my new cardiologist will be (don't you just love the military service?) and he/she will communicate with my oncologist. I was told what some of the side effects will be. Nothing surprising, but immunotherapy is better than chemotherapy since they won't be injecting me with poison, but will boost my immune system, instead.
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