Keeping in the loop--

[Bender2]

Okay, to keep everyone in the loop and maybe keep me there, too-- Here is what is going on.

Tomorrow I go into surgery to have a portal installed for them to be able to inject the chemo drugs into me. As to when that will start, I do not know as yet.

Wednesday I go to the Corsicana Cancer Center to get set up for chemo and such I guess. I have been told that my chemo and radiation therapy will be for 6 to 8 weeks and them perhaps followed by more surgery.

Monday I go up to Dallas for a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan that is as I understand it an imaging test that allows the doctors to check out where the cancer is and how far it has spread. I also assume they will use a special dye containing radioactive tracers.

Then back in Corsicana the next Wednesday I see my oncologist for the results of the PET scan and whatknot and we go from there.

[Bender2]

Then back in Corsicana the next Wednesday I see my oncologist for the results of the PET scan and whatknot and we go from there.

[Bender2]

I don't mind saying I am both confident and scared from where the sun don't shine, but the only way is forward and with the prayers and support of my family and friends I hope I will soon see the light at the end of this dark tunnel and be out free, clear of cancer and back to my wicked, wicked ways--

Love you all,

Danny

[null and void]

We’re all pullin’ for ya! Hang in there!

[EQAndyBuzz]

Our prayers are with you.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

So sorry you have to go through this! I’ll add you to my prayers. You’re right next to President Trump & his family, so you’re in good company! ;)

[Impy]

I never bothered to look up what PET scan stood for, now I know. Positron!?

Stay positive my friend.

[bgill]

Hugs

[DBrow]

Sounds like you are in good hands. A PET scan is where they inject you with glucose (sugar) that’s tagged with fluorine-19, an element that emits positrons. You lie down between two flat “cameras” that detect positron emissions, they may slowly rotate around you. The gamma cameras do 3D imaging of the spots where the glucose is being metabolized, so if you have a tumor that is growing, it shows up as a hot spot. I think this may take an hour or so, I had a different type of scan and it took just over an hour of lying very still while these big square panels sloooowlyy turned around me.

Ask where you can get a CD of the imagery, the clinic may have an “image library”. The advantage in doing that is that you can easily get a second opinion and bring the disc along with you, and it can help focus your energies and prayers, you can bring the picture up on a computer and point to it and say, that, right there, is what I’m fighting.

[Bender2]

My first thought of a PET SCAN what, “Why do they want to scan my pet? Old Fella been dead for better than 50 years and there won’t be much to scan after I dig him up.”

[Wm F Buckley Republican]

We went through this at our house. Spouse had stage 3 rectal cancer and the protocol sounds very much like yours. I swear he was the world’s best patient as he seemed to thrive on the extra attention. His daughters were there for every treatment. The staffs were great and he eventually had a nine hour surgery plus more chemo. It’s been over four years and so far, so good.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

P.E.T. = Positron Emissions Tomography

Yes, there is dye injection prior to the scan.

[Red Badger]

May the infinite love of God be with you in this trying time.........................

[RedStateRocker]

Prayers Up!

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

** Prayer Warriors Ping List **

[EinNYC]

I hope with all my heart that 1) any pain from the procedure will be minimal and 2) it is 100% effective and you may live a long life without further concern.

[4Runner]

Been there, done that. 2011 colon resection. Malignant adenoma removed. If I could do it, you won’t have any trouble. I’m a wuss. You’re not. I can tell. Besides, HE doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle.

[EinNYC]

I think a PET scan is what I had when I had a very “jump the gun” doctor. I had to sit motionless in a chair (I fell asleep) while they imaged me for an hour. Fortunately, it was nothing.

[Grampa Dave]

Best of luck.

With the good Oncologists you have, you should have good results.

[al_c]

Prayers up, Bender! May the doctors treat you well.

[ml/nj]

Sounds like they're putting the cart before the horse. I had a PET scan after a tumor was discovered near one of my kidneys. The PET scan was used to determine where else things were growing inside me. Once done they did testing to determine which was the original cancer and which were the metastatic growths. THEN I got my port and started chemo.

Fortunately for me I got hooked up with the top guy at Sloan for my type of cancer. The chemo he gave me wiped out all of the metastatic growths as determined by CT scans I undergo every three months. My last chemo treatment was back in March. (I had six rounds. Each round was three weeks. Chemo once during week one and again once during week two. I had the third week off. Side effects were very minimal for me.)

I'm actually having another PET scan this week. I think my doctor wants to be sure there is no metastatic activity before he goes surgically after the source cancer. I'll see him in March to see what he has in mind for me.

Good luck to you. Positive results are quite possible.

ML/NJ