GO FOR THE CURE!

I got back home a little while ago from the pharmacy. I had to pick up Compazine (my anti-nausea drug) and Dexamethasone (corticosteroid). I believe the steroid is to keep my appetite up (as if I have ever missed a square meal in my life) during the chemotherapy.

I also had an appointment with my Radiation Oncologist. A few entries back I wrote about confusion between what was reported on the PET scan and what was seen on the MRI scan - basically there is something in my upper left arm that looks odd. [The radiologist today actually used the word *funny* when speaking of how my *humerus* bone appeared on the film.] He admitted my arm looks strange - but he wasn't going to say that I have cancer or metastasis in my arm - because we just don't know. Dr. Maccabee explained that he stands by Dr. Sherman's order to continue full-bore with the aggressive cancer treatment = chemo + radiation = cure.

Dr. Maccabee explained the other side of the question and answer: What if it IS a metastasis? What if it IS cancer that is in my arm? (It really is a tiny spot on my arm - only about 1 cm) If it is breast cancer metastasized in my arm - the likelihood that the cancer has traveled to other areas of my body is greatly increased. And if that is the case....the good Dr. Sherman would most likely not treat me with chemo and radiation right now and we would work on things like giving me a good quality of life. See, the thing is - if it has metastsized - the cancer would be incurable. OK! That is what I needed to know!

So the great thing about chemotherapy is that it is meant to kill things just like this! Ok, well actually the chemo is for killing the microscopic cells out in my body - but this is just what this area of concern in my arm is needing. But what I am talking about up to this point is IF the thing in my arm is cancer. BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. It could be just a bone cyst or something like that (don't what those things are - but it could be things that are not cancer, so says Dr. Maccabee. So this is good. We are going to watch my arm - and if there is cancer there, the chemo should wipe it right out. The alternative to continuing on the treatment road we have planned would be to forgo the chemo & radiation and just assume that I have metastasized, incurable cancer. FORGET THAT. I want to go for the CURE.