Highlights
- Latest chemo mixed results.
- My voice recovery – surgery success.
- Terrific time with my sister – June 8-28!
Liver health and cancer progress
My June 19 PET scan showed mixed results. While the lesions in my bones had shrunk and not spread, the ones in my liver continue to proliferate. My oncologist, Nick Pavlakis, stopped that articular chemo and came up with a Plan A, B and C. Plan A was a drug trial, which didn’t pan out.
Plan B was a repeat of the Selective Internal Radiation Treatment (SIRT) that I had in November. It involves injecting microspheres of radioactive material into some of the veins of my liver, targetting veins to maximize the tumours killed. (The full science report about SIRT is laid out in my Report # 17 blog.) I had a mebrofenin scan on July 18 to see if I qualify but it turns out my liver function isn’t good enough at this stage to bounce back from the radiation.
So we go with Plan C, a new type of chemo for me called gemcitabine. It’s an oldie, in use for 30 years, and my oncology team describes it as “gentle”. As it turns out, based on four days’ experience, it has left me extremely exhausted and weak. I’ve needed naps during the day. I was pretty tired before the chemo started so this is just piling on. Let’s hope it improves over time.
My voice
On July 3 I went into hospital for day surgery for the third injection of material into my right vocal cord to attempt to improve my voice. By then, it had degraded into a kind of raspy whisper.
The resonance of my voice is now markedly better, though I need sone strengthening exercises from my speech pathologist to beef up the right muscles.
My pronunciation is still mumbly due to the paralysis in the right side of my face. There’s no medical fix for that -- I just need to deal with it and make an effort to speak clearly. However, I’ve seen a facial physiotherapist – yes, that’s a specialty! – who has recommended some exercises to bring back the muscles controlled by the nerves that were crushed by my now-inactive facial tumour.
Life
goes on
I still can’t do my Sunday evening shift as a Marine Rescue Radio Operator, due mostly to fatigue – I’ve been off it for almost three months so I’m feeling a bit rusty – but I still live in hope that all the steps I’ve been taking will get me back in the saddle again soon.
Thanks to all who have sent encouraging notes. Please keep your good wishes coming. Sorry if I haven’t written back but I’ll try to be more responsive as my energy returns. Special thanks to Dianne, always.
More news as it happens.