Doctor Appointments

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for praying for us yesterday. The marathon of appts went well. Chest xray was good, visit to lung surgeon was good - he thinks I am progressing well. Got the copies of my records from Radiology pretty easily. Pathology was a little more complicated as it turns out they overnight the actual glass microscopic slides to the places we request, rather than sending copies of the records on CD. So those records will not be sent until I have a confirmed appt at Fox Chase or elsewhere. The secretary in the Pathology Dept was VERY sweet - taking lots of time with us, calling Fox Chase several times over the course of the morning to confirm details etc.

Last stop was the oncology dept, which I was dreading a bit. I have to admit the entire experience of signing in at the "cancer center" and walking past a room full of folks in recliners getting their IV chemo was a big unnerving. However, Dr Zeger was very attentive and took a lot of time with us, explaining his observations in a positive way, answering all our questions, being understanding of my fears and even a few tears, and giving us the hope that I was wishing for.

No one will make me promises (except the LORD!), but Dr Zeger did give us hope. We purposely did not ask for statistics or "my chances". I have already heard enough statistics, and know I have to face those along the way, but I am trying to approach this as I have been advised by several doctors, websites and fellow cancer patients: the statistics are not ME. They summarize what has happened to others with similar situations but the statistics don't have the dimension to tell the entire story. Averages are averages. They don't tell you how many people did GREAT, how many people will never have a reoccurence, how many people had only one lung metastasis or were 49 or had the same health as me, or the same will to live, or the same FAITH. My story is my story, no one else's. As my "rough around the edges but deeply caring under that exterior" kidney surgeon put it, "if you beat it, YOUR statistics are 100%, so the statistics don't really matter!" :-)

Anyway, Dr Zeger said YES you CAN beat this. YES, people DO beat this even with a lung metastasis. YES, the surgery might have already removed it all. YES these new drugs show much promise as compared with treatment that used to be available. MAYBE the drugs are unnecessary, since the cancer might never reappear. I might take the meds and never have a reoccurence and we will never know if the meds did it, or the surgery was enough. But I am not willing to wait and see! I would rather take the meds - that lung metastasis got there somehow and so whatever planted it there is likely still floating around in my bloodstream and I would like to try my best to get rid of it.

The med Dr. Zeger thinks is best for me is called Sutent. There is a very similar med called Nexavar. It would be taken 4 weeks on and 2 weeks off for an undetermined amount of time - maybe 6-8 months. I would start after mom and dad's 50th anniversary shore week they have given all of us in mid - July. It has side effects like fatigue, taste changes and nausea, skin rashes - it's basically chemo but supposedly with relatively mild side effects. Dr. Zeger is having a man around my age with a similar case of Renal Cell Carcinoma who has been on this med for a few months give me a call to talk more about it.

Meanwhile I started working on a second opinion at Penn as well as at Fox Chase. Still having a lot of hoops to jump through at Fox Chase - FAXes not getting there and so on. Penn Physician Referral, on the other hand, was super to deal with, to my surprise. They took my initial info and then put a nurse right on the line with me who was very compassionate and kind. Turns out she herself had colon cancer 6+ years ago which spread to her lung 4+ years ago and she is doing well so far. A different case than mine to be sure, but a real comfort and encouragement that the Lord provided her "accidentally" when I called Penn. So, I am now waiting for a call back about an appt with their top Renal Cell Carcinoma guy as well as the Fox Chase Renal Dept.

I continue to get so much encouragement from the help, calls, cards, notes..... gifts! A beautiful gift awaited me yesterday when I arrived home from that hard day of doctor appts - encouraging me with the names of God and HIS POWER to heal and sustain me (Thank you J+C - you made me cry - in a good way!). Others have sent me scriptures and devotional pages hand picked for me which have been such a blessing. I even have a few sweet friends who are sending me a card about once a week to let me know they are still out there - holding us up in prayer.

THANK YOU ALL SO VERY VERY MUCH. What a blessing to be part of the family of God, to know HIS love through each and every one of you.

Pressing on,
Karen - for all of us!