I got a call from the oncologist herself this morning. That's never a good sign.
Sure enough, some pathologist report and conferring with said pathologist has resulted in a change of treatment plans. My cancer is apparently more aggressive (Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma) than they thought. They recommend another chemo being added in and, for some reason, it necessitates a FIVE DAY stay in the hospital each treatment day.
I am still waiting for the PA to call me and tell me the details and arrangements. I have never stayed in a hospital that long in my life. I think back in my cross country trip with gf Janet post-college and I had some kind of illness that looked like appendicitis and I was in an Iowa hospital with Dr. John and Dr. Bob, brothers, for a night or two. My condition improved and no surgery was necessary.
This is going to be different. I have lots of questions and no answers, so far. All I know is the test results were called iFish (not a new Apple product):
Interphase FISH (IFISH) analysis is an intriguing molecular cytogenetic approach to study chromosome abnormalities in cancer.
It is very upsetting, of course!
The acronym is now R-EPOCH, kind of an anagram of R-CHOP. The E is the new element, etoposide, which sounds like something from a detective story.
My first hospital stay starts Monday, May 3rd, after a visit with Dr Ujjani at SCCA.
I will be allowed no visitors, probably because King County, WA has had to go back to Phase 2. Still, that seems like the hardest thing.
Etoposide, sold under the brand name Vepesid among others, is a chemotherapy medication used for the treatments of a number of types of cancer including testicular cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, neuroblastoma, and ovarian cancer.
Oh, my friend, that is hard news. Five days five times - and more aggressive treatment for a possibly more aggressive illness. I hope that somehow the five days don't seem so long.
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