Great news! I got my PET scan results back….There appears to
be no cancer in my body except for the lesion on my skin. The reason that I say
“appears” is because he still needs to check in my bone marrow to see if that’s
the source of the cancer. The results of the PET scan were the best results I
could have gotten. I don’t have cancer in any major organs. I’m not dying. The
lesion/tumor that is on my skin is quite large and showed up black as ever on
the PET scan. When he did the 360 of my body you can see that the lesion/tumor
is on top of the abdominal wall. It has not penetrated the abdominal wall like
I thought!
I was supposed to get my bone marrow biopsy today but I
asked him how painful it is and if its going to be the worst pain of my life
and he said if I’ve never broken a bone or ( I forgot the other things he
said…) then yes it will be the worst pain. I’ve never had anything wrong with
me so I was like no…..and he said he will put me under tomorrow and do it that
way. Thank God. I don’t do well with pain.
Okay now back to the PET scan…..because of the results of
the scan, I may not have to do chemotherapy. I still have to do some form of
treatment once every three weeks for six months but it may not be chemotherapy.
The type of lymphoma that it seems like I have, which is just based in the
skin, is a very very rare form of lymphoma. One where there is no source from
inside the body..its all in the skin. My doctor helped make a new drug that
targets CD30 (I think) which is in my tumor on my stomach. This new drug is
called Brentuximab. It is usually used after chemo when chemo doesn’t work. My
doctor believes that because this is just in the skin, I don’t have to do such
an intrusive form of treatment and can just to Brentuximab. This is all only if
there is no cancer in my bone marrow and all the doctors agree with this
decision. I hope they do because there are barely any side effects with this
form of treatment. He said that if we do this form and it doesn’t seem to work,
I will be starting chemo in about 9 weeks. I think this drug is worth a try. I'm starting treatment on Monday whether its chemo or brentuximab......I just want to be healthy.... (but I do hope its not chemo)
I also really want this lesion to go down….its painful and
big and you can see if through my clothing….i cant lay on my stomach (which is
how I typically sleep) and I can’t wear my seatbelt because it rubs it =/…. Tomorrow
im being put under for the bone marrow biopsy….i’ll be put under so I will
barely feel it =)
The text my dad sent me a few hours after we got the PET scan results.
optimistic
