What's The Plan Doc? 3-19-12

"Your CT looks great!!" 
"SERIOUSLY?"
"We don't see any cancer on any of your organs.  The surgical pathology report said a bit of microscopic cells were left over at the connection site, but we can't see them on the CT."

This was the best news I had heard in a looooong time.  :)  So what's the plan?  What next?
Chemo/radiation therapy...25 rounds of it.  25 ROUNDS?!?!?!?  Say again???
"Monday through Friday for 5 weeks you will take your chemo pills at home and have your radiation done here."  the doctor said.

OH BOY...lots of driving, but my baby deserves the best and Duke is the best.

Once that is done, its 3 rounds of IV chemo...that is the one that will make his hair fall out.  Hair shmair, it will grow back...just get rid of the cancer!!

Come to find out they got this treatment plan from Japan where stomach cancer is more common.  They have had pretty good results with this treatment.

"Too easy, when do we start."  Tony says just as he did when they told him they were taking his stomach out.

Well, we started 2 weeks later...a week after post op.

My heart started racing, I had one more really hard question to ask.  I wasn't sure how to ask, but I really wanted to know..."OK I have one more really hard question." I said, then turned to Tony and apologized for what I was about to say.

"Did we catch it in time?  When will we know?"

"We got his stomach out.  So yes.  If we weren't able to remove his stomach we would be having a different conversation.  When will we know?  We will know in 20 years."  The doctor replied

"Great...I'll take another 20 years :)" I said with a big smile on my face.

She went on to tell us our goal is to kill any cancel cells left in his body so it won't attach itself to any organs.  She explained how they would monitor him with CTs every 3 months and he would get endoscopy's every 6-12 months.  OK I can live with that :)  But it wasn't me that would be going through the treatment physically...it was Tony.  I just selfishly don't want to be alone or him to anywhere. 

Again Tony replies, "Too easy." Which always makes me smile.

Then it was off to meet our chemo oncologist.  He assured us this was the best way to go and that Tony is young enough to get through the treatment...and THAT is what is important.  So my new mission, I don't care how bad it gets, I would drag him by his hair if I needed to...and he of course asked me to ensure he finishes it. :) 

So we have a plan, I know where to next and I feel good.  Right now I am smiling and cancer is going to LOSE!!!!