July 2016.
The past few months have been pretty uneventful in terms of cancer. I have been getting regular scans and all of my cancer has been stabilized or it has improved. I have been able to settle back into a semi-normal life. Physically, I feel pretty good. I continue my weekly workouts which seem to be the MOST important part of my treatment plan. It is the one place where the vibe is so positive. It just feels good. No one is poking me with a needle or treating me like I am really sick. It is quite the opposite. Phil and Ben push me hard (well, hard for me). Neither of them allows me to use cancer as an excuse. There is no shortage of laughter. I know that I have said it before but the exercise changes everything - my body and my mindset. There is no pill that I can take that gives me the feeling after a good workout.
I met with Dr. O in June and had what felt like a very confusing appointment. She is not happy that I discontinued taking the Letrezole in May. The side effects of the drug were too much and Anthony found me a natural equivalent. I’m not sure what the big deal is. She already admitted that it wasn’t working. Now we are being told that it was working. What? She starts quoting decreases in tumour markers. I have to remind her that after three months of taking the drug that my markers INCREASED. She also wants to start me on additional drugs. I’m confused. My cancer is stable and has done nothing but improve since I went to Germany. Why would I add more drugs into the mix? The Godfather of Cancer gave me the best advice. Do not use the bullet before you need to. If the enemy is not attacking, do not use the ammunition. We agree that I will have another MRI to see if there is any new activity and that we will reconvene to discuss further treatment options. All in all, she is not happy with me or my choices.
My new MRI reveals the tiniest shade of a new tumour on my liver. Uh-oh. Dr. Raj states it plainly. “You were winning. Now, the cancer is winning.” For some reason, I am eerily calm. Mostly because I know that there are options available to me. It is clear however that I need a more aggressive plan. Anthony tells me that I have two options – wait and see or get to Mexico and give cancer the final push off the cliff.
I call Krista. “Pack your bags, we are going to Mexico.”
- Kim
photo: Krista McKeachie