Sometimes, time stands still

Our visit to Sloan Kettering was informative, frightening, comforting, and busy.

We met with the oncologist for over 2 hours.  He was a wealth of information.  He explained that Mike would not be a candidate for chemotherapy as there are no "cocktails" that can "cure" this.  And, in reviewing what they do have available, the benefits do not outweigh the risks.  But he had already met with the surgeon and the radiologist and they have mapped out a plan.

The meeting with the surgeon was also informative.  He explained that, although they do not have back their final pathology, they are not expecting to find anything different based on origin of  the reports that he was given.  He said, "the slides were sent to the 'best of the best'".  That was comforting.  He explained the surgery that he wanted to do -  "make an incision down the side of his nose, where the nose 'meets the face' - remove a sliver of the nasal bone, the cheek bone, and the soft tissue in between - all the while NOT disturbing the surrounding area and taking things out in one piece so as not to send off any errant cells".  He explained that it was not his job to do the most non-invasive surgery, it was his job to do the most effective surgery for the best possible outcome. 

Mike wanted to know why the Pet Scan did not light up and yet it seemed like they were taking drastic measures to "clean out the area".  We were told that it takes hundreds of thousands of cancer cells in one area to light up on a Pet Scan.  AND, in this case, this cancer is so aggressive that all it would take is for one cancer cell to go awry and it would divide, divide and divide until another cancerous tumor formed "somewhere".   The surgeon explained that they would do radiation treatments after he healed form surgery in order to eradicate any possible cells floating around that area.

I asked the doctor, "So, after the surgery and after the radiation, can we say that my husband is cured?"  He responded, "We can NEVER say he is cured with this type of cancer."...... and time stood still

Surgery was scheduled for Oct. 9. Mike then had 2 MRI's and a CT Scan.

We meet with the radiologist on Friday to hear his portion of the plan.