Been a while since I've been here. It's amazing how quickly 4 months flies by when you're preoccupied with cancer. Isn't that the understatement of the decade? Yeesh.
Wanted to update about Eric. Finally had the orchiectomy done in December (had to wait because of extensive disease in his lungs) and he's about to finish up BEP next Tuesday. Busy day that day - meeting with the urologist to schedule the RPLND, CT scans, BLEO, and meeting with the oncologist. Can't wait for more news though. I'm a planner and not being able to plan just drives me crazy. At least I have a little screen shot of where we're going hopefully. With a small child it's better to know how to plan instead of fly by the seat of our pants ya know?
Anyway - I have something I'm worried about but wanted to see if anyone could offer feedback. The pathology report showed part of Eric's tumor being a teratoma. I know these bad boys are rare. Unfortunately because of the teratoma, we're looking at a probable wedge resection of Eric's lungs in a handful of spots (to remove anything that shows up on a CT scan over 1cm) after all the chemo that can be given him, is given to him (easier said that done - ugh). My main concern is there being a possible spot of cancer on the pelvic region of his bone. His oncologist is ordering a follow up bone scan to confirm it went to his bone, and I'll of course ask him next Tuesday about this, but has anyone had experience with a mixed germ cell tumor including teratoma with mets to the bone? Teratoma's don't respond to chemo or radiation so the only way to get it out of the body is to cut it out. How the heck will they remove bone from his pelvis? UGH.
Otherwise Eric has survived BEP "well". As well as anyone can I suppose. Besides neuropathy, extreme physical fatigue, and nausea he's ok. We're looking at a RPLND next month (if his tumor markers are stable and normal, which they are NOW - his HcG is holding steady at 4 versus 67,000 in October) then 2+ rounds of VeIP which are done inpatient (basically he'll be blasted with chemo until his lung tumors don't respond anymore) and then a wedge resection come summertime. I know he'll have left over stuff in his lungs over 1cm. It was really ugly in there. I'm fooling myself if I don't think he'll need it. At least the possiblity of a wedge resection has made me tolerate the idea of the RPLND now. Silly how something that sounds worse makes something pretty awful sound better. Jeez.
Anyway - sorry to be a stranger. Between being a mom, me working nights, and all the fun stuff cancer offers, I'm stretched so thin. I'm just looking forward to the day when I can offer hope to others caregivers when Eric is free and clear of cancer, and my brain doesn't feel like it's going to explode.
Take care all. I'll update more when I know more next Tuesday.
Jenny
Wanted to update about Eric. Finally had the orchiectomy done in December (had to wait because of extensive disease in his lungs) and he's about to finish up BEP next Tuesday. Busy day that day - meeting with the urologist to schedule the RPLND, CT scans, BLEO, and meeting with the oncologist. Can't wait for more news though. I'm a planner and not being able to plan just drives me crazy. At least I have a little screen shot of where we're going hopefully. With a small child it's better to know how to plan instead of fly by the seat of our pants ya know?
Anyway - I have something I'm worried about but wanted to see if anyone could offer feedback. The pathology report showed part of Eric's tumor being a teratoma. I know these bad boys are rare. Unfortunately because of the teratoma, we're looking at a probable wedge resection of Eric's lungs in a handful of spots (to remove anything that shows up on a CT scan over 1cm) after all the chemo that can be given him, is given to him (easier said that done - ugh). My main concern is there being a possible spot of cancer on the pelvic region of his bone. His oncologist is ordering a follow up bone scan to confirm it went to his bone, and I'll of course ask him next Tuesday about this, but has anyone had experience with a mixed germ cell tumor including teratoma with mets to the bone? Teratoma's don't respond to chemo or radiation so the only way to get it out of the body is to cut it out. How the heck will they remove bone from his pelvis? UGH.
Otherwise Eric has survived BEP "well". As well as anyone can I suppose. Besides neuropathy, extreme physical fatigue, and nausea he's ok. We're looking at a RPLND next month (if his tumor markers are stable and normal, which they are NOW - his HcG is holding steady at 4 versus 67,000 in October) then 2+ rounds of VeIP which are done inpatient (basically he'll be blasted with chemo until his lung tumors don't respond anymore) and then a wedge resection come summertime. I know he'll have left over stuff in his lungs over 1cm. It was really ugly in there. I'm fooling myself if I don't think he'll need it. At least the possiblity of a wedge resection has made me tolerate the idea of the RPLND now. Silly how something that sounds worse makes something pretty awful sound better. Jeez.
Anyway - sorry to be a stranger. Between being a mom, me working nights, and all the fun stuff cancer offers, I'm stretched so thin. I'm just looking forward to the day when I can offer hope to others caregivers when Eric is free and clear of cancer, and my brain doesn't feel like it's going to explode.
Take care all. I'll update more when I know more next Tuesday.
Jenny
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