Wednesday we met with Dr. Edgar Ben-Josef, an oncology radiologist that works with ACC patients. I got this question the other day so I'm just going to clarify the difference between radiation and chemotherapy. Radiation is killing cells in a particular spot of your body (there is machinery that can target a section of your body to kill those cells, both good and bad.) Whichever cells are radiated are killed. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, is poison that kills fast growing cells, not only tumor cells but also cells such as hair, nails, and white blood cells (suppressing one's immune system.)
Anyhow! Dr. Ben-Josef has had success radiating tumor beds of those with ACC to kill any microscopic tumor cells that may be left behind after surgery. A tumor bed is the area where one's tumor was before surgery. He also reccommended radiation on the three nodules, small tumors, in my lungs. He said that radiation could kill those tumors without having to go through another surgery, although anyone who knows me knows I love surgery because anesthesia is the best thing everrrrr.
The doctors don't want me to have many more surgeries because they suspect I have a lot of scar tissue as it is, which is a problem. They described the scar tissue as bubblegum that my surgeon (of whom I believe to be God himself) would be cutting through and not know where the gum ended. In conclusion they don't want God, aka Dr. Weldon, to pop my lung. That would be a bummer.
PLANS FOR NEXT WEEK:
Tuesday - Meeting with Dr. Weldon to see how well I'm healing since the last surgery. I'm also having an MRI and a CT scan to have a baseline before radiation begins on the 29th. They use these baseline scans to compare them to scans they will do later on during my treatment to see if the tumors have decreased in size or stayed the same size. That would mean radiation is working.
Wednesday - Planning session with radiology (It'll be a blast. My radiologist is like a grown-up version of Luna Lovegood.) I'll be getting three tattoos to line up the radiation machines so the radiologists can make sure they're radiating the same spot every time. My very first, and last, tats, WOO!
Thursday - Radiation begins! This radiation will be Monday thru Friday every week for five weeks straight. The side effects of radiation aren't quite as bad as chemo, but I'll progressively become sleepier with every treatment so I am apologizing in advance for not talking or texting or typing as much as I usually do.
We flew home from Michy today and it's so nice to not be in a hotel room, even though I think it was nice to get a break from my boring daily routine. I'm looking forward to the holidays because I got everyone really funny gifts. :o)
Happy 4th night of Hannukah, & Merry Christmas Eve's Eve!
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