August 11, 2009

I got a non-shiney report this time. I had a PET Scan this time. This is a test where they inject radio-active sugar in my veins, and then do a sort of an MRI. The radio-active sugar shines on the X-RAY wherever there is cancer. This determines whether the cancer has spread, among other things. I asked the Radiology Doctor if the cancer had shrunk. He said yes, the response was "fabulous." I said "How much has it shrunk?" He said "it is hard to tell definitively because of the dye." I said, "I would like a number." He said "well, it is maybe 10%." I said, "You mean that the cancer has shrunk by 10%?" He said, "no, It has shrunk by 90%."

I thought that was real good news until the next day. I asked the Chemo Doctor to confirm the number, which he did. Then I asked if the lymph node under my arm was shining. (Still there.) He said no I asked where all the cancer had spread to in the scan. He said nowhere. I said, "then the only place the cancer is showing up is on my jaw?" He said, "no, it didn't show up there either." I said, "you mean you couldn't find any cancer anywhere?" He said, "yes, thats right. We know it is still there, but it must be dormant."

We discussed my getting off of chemo treatments when I come back next time. They will just do tests, and watch it for a while.