Suspense Aliviated...(maybe)

Okay, how do you decifer what the doctor(s) say into something that you and I can understand? I need something like a Spanish language translator, except this needs to be a medical translator...whatever.

The biopsy results show no "abnormalities or permanent damage". Great! Right? Yes, well, maybe. There is still something causing the liver enzymes to elevate. Chemo? Not really because they were elevated prior to starting chemo (but certainly possible nonetheless because chemo is a toxin that is filtered by the liver). There may be "minimal acute chronic hepatitis"...but wait, my labs were negative for Hep A/B/C. Right? Well yes, but...okay, I am officially confused. Whatever again. The main thing is the latest labs show a sharp decline in the elevated numbers, so I'm moving in the right direction.

I see the onc on Friday, and right now I'm scheduled for chemo #2 on Tuesday July 5. This comes 7 weeks after the first and only treatment on May 16. I'm supposed to go every 2 weeks; obviously I am way off schedule. I reluctantly say I'm ready to go for #2. I cringe when I think about how nasty #1 was, but the concern about microscopic cancer cells floating around in my body unchecked makes me cringe even more. So the lesser of two evils wins the mental battle (or is it the greater of two evils? Still confused...) . I keep reminding myself that I have it so much better than many other folks battling cancer. For this I am both grateful and hopeful. For those reading this post who have cancer >> NEVER, EVER QUIT. I simply refuse to let this take me down.

Till next time, Brian.