Progression Notes

I went to see my oncologist for my monthly visit.  Blood work was fine--that was perhaps the only good news. 

I have an increase in certain symptoms, which indicate that the cancer has possibly spread to my brain.  Chief among them, frequent headaches, especially in the morning.  The symptoms are readily treated with NSAIDs  but they keep coming back (like right now).

Neuropathy on the bottom of my right foot and two more painful growths on my scalp, as well as an increase in the pain in my left upper shoulder where we suspect a cancerous lymph node lurks right above my jugular vein (which makes it inoperable).  I also now have a pleural effusion in the lining of my left lung.  That means fluid in the space between my lung and my body, which has affected my breathing capacity.

Oh, and my oncologist thinks I have an outbreak of shingles on my face.  And here I thought it was pimples.  They had to disinfect the room after I left, it's considered dangerous for those with cancer.  But  no direct connection to the cancer.  It should take another 7-10 days to clear up.  Until then it's back to the lovely appearance I sported when taking Tarceva.  Damn.

So, I am scheduled for a brain MRI first thing this Thursday morning.  My daughter is home visiting for a few days, and she will accompany me, but then must fly back to Minneapolis where she is finishing the first of her four year residency in internal medicine and pediatrics. 

Finally, it seems that folks did not see my post about the fact that the surgeons did not install an esophageal stent a month ago.  At first the widening that they did seemed to work, but I am back to having a hard time keeping food down.  It's a wonderful weight loss regimen.  I am down two sizes and back at a weight I haven't seen since pre-kid days.  I would not recommend it, however.

Thank goodness for friends, kids and Downton Abbey.