I wasn't too convinced at first because with all the scans and x-rays I had before I was diagnose, they never knew I had cancer until I went into hospital to drain the fluid in my lungs and do some investigation. It was only then that I was diagnosed with mesothelioma and had all the lining of my right lung, part of my lung and a rib removed.
However the doctor who sent me for these last set of scans went over my pre-operation scans and showed me the tumors. In retrospect it is easier to find them. That made me more convinced that I am actually in remission because it wasn't that the scans didn't show them up at all but just that they were overlooked.
I still have a lot of pain for which I am using Durogesic patches which I change every 3 days. They help keep the pain in check together with some panadol. Until now I didn't know how much of my pain was cancer and how much was still from the operation. I have to believe now that it is all from the operation. The operation cut through so many nerves that healing can take a very long time but it is great knowing the pain is from that and not cancer.
Mesothelioma is known for coming back from remission yet there are cases of people who are still living after being diagnosed many years ago. In the Asbestos Diseases Support Group there are two women who have both had it for 6 years. I am hoping that I am one of those exceptional cases who manage to beat this bastard.
I want to thank all of you for your unbelievable support, good wishes and prayers. Knowing that so many people out there were supporting me like that gave me gave me so much strength. I truly believe you all were the reason I recovered so well.
I also think I had terrific luck with the doctors I had. I had the surgeon I had because back in December 2006 I had an appointment to see another surgeon about draining fluid in my lungs. The one I was supposed to see was on holidays and I was in so much pain that I begged my doctor to find me another surgeon urgently. I went in for surgery in February but just as I was about to be wheeled into theatre the operation was cancelled because the doctor thought the fluid was going down and so I would recover naturally and that what ever caused it, it wasn't anything serious. A few months later I was in so much pain that I went back in to finally do the surgery and the rest is history.
This surgeon organised an oncologist for me who immediately put me on to Alimta for my chemotherapy. I posted a while back that I met person from the support group who was diagnosed around the same time as me but whose funeral I went to.
His surgeon was the one I was going to have but who was on holidays. Like me, he found out he had mesothelioma during surgery to drain the fluid in his lungs. Unlike me, the doctor put in a talc powder to absorb the fluid instead of removing the lining of the lung. His surgeon then sent him to a different oncologist who put him onto a different chemo drug and not Alimta.
Well I know there are so many variables involved here on top of what I just mentioned that would have made the difference between him and me. But I just think that things turned out so well for me and I do feel that the procedures that were taken for me - once I was finally diagnosed - were the right ones. I keep thinking that things could have easily turned out very differently if the first surgeon wasn't on holidays.
I was so pleased that Alimta was finally listed on the PBS and I hope now that oncologists will use it as a first option.
I now have to keep vigilant and have checks every two months but I feel like I have won this battle. Medical technology is moving so fast and so many people survive cancer these days. While mesothelioma is still one of those cancers that is incurable, I believe that that will change during my life time.
UPDATE:
Patrick read my post and he makes a few points:
1) In the June 2005 ct scan there was no cancer visible but there was fluid visible (which can be caused by lots of things). And apparently that wasn't picked up then.
2) As I understand it the procedure with blowing talc powder between the pleura layers is not to absorb fluid but to cause the layers to fuse together and thereby making it impossible to have fluid buildup between the pleura layers. I think the talc powder actually causes an inflammation that causes the pleura layers to stick together.
3) Dr A probably also does the talc powder procedure. I think when to do that or when to take out the pleura is decided on a case by case basis and Dr B might have done the same. We don't know.
2) As I understand it the procedure with blowing talc powder between the pleura layers is not to absorb fluid but to cause the layers to fuse together and thereby making it impossible to have fluid buildup between the pleura layers. I think the talc powder actually causes an inflammation that causes the pleura layers to stick together.
3) Dr A probably also does the talc powder procedure. I think when to do that or when to take out the pleura is decided on a case by case basis and Dr B might have done the same. We don't know.
* I used Dr. A for my surgeon and Dr. B as the one I almost had to protect their names.
I should also mention that Choochie is very good lately. We are giving him 3 insulin shots a day instead of 2 and he is responding well. So it really is all good.
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