First Visit to the Oncologist

Loners make light when the situation is bleak. Cannot tell you the number of times I have heard little tiffs between loners and their spouses when there was a bad joke made out of something that really isn't funny. True to form, when my father came back with bad news from the oncologist, he continued to make light and try to find the humor in this situation. I am posting his note:

"We just returned from Lafayette to see the oncologist. Great guy - very thorough. Not the greatest news however. Got a chance to read the pathologist report (2nd one using flow cytometry) and didn't leave much doubt - malignant stamped all over it - malignant lymphoma - like saying I have a boy son. Stage II actually - found enlarged nodes on both sides of neck. But prognosis does not seem to be so bad - average is 10 years. Here's the funny part - Stage I & II are incurable, Stage III & IV, which are much more aggressive and worse, are curable. I told the doc the answer seems easy to me "Let's just do nothing and wait for the disease to progress to III & IV, and then cure it." He smiled, but said it doesn't work that way. Wouldn't you know it - I thought I found the cure.

This doc really seems to know his stuff. We now start down the slippery slope of multiple tests to establish a base line for the disease so he can establish where it has spread to, also can tell when it is in remission. Also the tests provide additional info needed to develop a treatment plan. Chemo will probably be necessary. The tests consist of a full body CT scan (identify any additional tumor locations), PET Scan (I asked if that was for Scruffy), - it identifies any other cancer cells ("hot spots" he called them) that may be in the body, excisional biopsy of the neck, full blood workup, and bone marrow biopsy. I think I got it all. Just may move to Lafayette. However, they are one of the top cancer care clinics in the state. In fact, he said they are currently conducting a clinical trial (top research study) that he may want to put me in. Will talk about that after test results are in. Not sure I want to be a guinea pig. It's an adventure. But really, the prognosis is good. He was very optimistic, friendly, and thorough. I can think of a lot of worse things to have.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. They count for a lot. The tests start tomorrow and we just live one day at a time. He could not guarantee the treatment would improve my golf game, so BIG DOG (brother Paul) & six-pack Carl can relax."