I'm sure by now everyone is wondering why it has been so long since the last blog post. Truth be known, we got the results of Ernie's scans on Wednesday evening. It has taken us this long to digest the results.
Ernie’s scans show that the
tumor at the base of his tongue is quite large (1 ½ to 2 inches). Nothing
showed on the scan he had in May so our local ENT doctor is assuming the cancer is now quite
aggressive. Also, the scans showed activity in both the left lymph nodes
(it had been there before but surgery supposedly removed it all) and right
lymph nodes—a brand new occurrence. Finally, there were small lesions in
his lungs that might be cancer—but could also be aspiration pneumonia.
Because of the extent of the cancer, surgery is not an option as far as Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is concerned. Also, since Ernie has already had his life time
allotment of radiation, that is out too. That leaves chemo—which is palliative not
curative.
We will meet with the local oncologist
on Wednesday but, if he tells us this chemo will be like the first round, we will
probably decline as Ernie felt so bad during treatment. The scans have also been sent to Johns Hopkins for their opinion. There is still a possibility that they can identify a clinical trial
that Ernie will qualify for. So now we wait for final recommendations and then decision time. All that will happen hopefully by Friday. It will be a long week.
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