Health Update 26th July

Well, after having no worthwhile health updates for ages, and even re-naming the blog, I now do have a further update which may be of interest to the odd reader (I always thought that oddness was probably a prerequisite anyway).

On Friday had a call from Leanne Berkahn - my Haemotologist with results of the CT scan I had a couple of weeks ago. Sounds like there are some lymph nodes in my abdomen which previously had measured about 8mm across which are now about 10 – 11mm. Wants to do another CT-guided biopsy on one to see what the histology indicates. I had a CT-guided one last year which was easy enough. It takes the guesswork out of exactly where the tip of the needle is before they start drawing off stuff to test.

If cancer cells are indeed the cause of the enlargement, she wants to hit me with two rounds of a different chemo combo (the initials of which escape me) and prior to that take some bone marrow so they can do an autologus (my own cell) stem cell transplant if necessary.

She is pretty confident we’re early enough to “cure” (her word, not mine) and although you can never take something as a given, she was confident.

I asked about why/how this development could occur given that the PET scan in December had showed all clear. She said that sometimes there can be a small number of rogue cells that are below the threshhold which the detection technology can pick up that may have been just lurking. (With intent?).

I'm fine with it all, and feel like I'm in very good hands - both human and celestial! I guess it is just a continuation/completion of the process which dealt a pretty effective blow to the disease last year and needs to be finished off now.


IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?

WHY DO THEY LOCK GAS STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?

IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?

Cheers,

Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz