scan results -- uncertain

Typical: We've been waiting a week for an electrician. Finally, he'll be here in fifteen minutes -- but we have to go see the cancer doc.

I tell Deb she could see the doc while I wait for the electrician, Deb says no.

There's no real point in my seeing the doc. Whatever she suggests, I say Yes. If she has nothing to suggest then I do nothing.

Deb doesn't accept my logic. So we both see the doc, I cancel the electrician.

Now I'm sitting in semi-dark, wishing I had a better sight of the keyboard.

The news from the doc is -- about the same as for the last scan.

There are areas of damage, well-known, no change from the last scan. That's a case of "no news is good news"... read that as a positive comment :-)

The last scan showed two spots (5mm across?) which could be new cancer. If they grow then... it's bad news.

Well... they have grown. How much? No idea. The doc is very weak on solid numbers. Speaking of which:

It's the usual story. If I have new symptoms then that's a bad sign.

What symptoms? I ask (as usual). For example, I ask, does that part of my brain control my left leg? If my left leg starts to kick is that a symptom of damage?

We finally nail her down. No, that is the vision part of the brain, so beware of changes -- more changes -- to vision.

Has my vision got worse? she asks.

Well. Expletive deleted. She has never even suggested a quantitative measure of my loss of vision. I did once manage to argue Deb into watching -- and remembering -- where my vision cuts out. (We've forgotten the results.) The doc said, oooh, so your peripheral vision stops there... but no attempt at a real measure.

So now she wants to know, has my vision got worse.

 .Asking me. I didn't notice when it first went. Until Deb told me that I was driving too close to parked cars.

Anyway. If the spots were tumours then they should be drawing in extra blood, a growing tumour needs food. No sign of extra blood flow. So... it may not be tumours.

So I'm lined up for another scan... to see if anything is changing. In a show of pessimism, the doc wants the next scan in two months instead of three.

And that's it. Something growing on my brain. Not growing enough for immediate treatment. Still on watch and wait.

While I can't see any new symptoms -- that's good news :-(

Actually there is a positive side to this:

It's like my asthma. Ventolin no longer makes a difference, so I don't need to remember to use Ventolin.

Similarly: All cancer treatment options have been tried. And reached the limit of their possible effective use. (Except for surgery -- if/when there is a definite tumour.) Okay, perhaps chemo can be restarted; as a guineapig measure.

There is no available useful treatment. So... I can relax. With no worry about whether or not any treatment will help. And that's something to be glad about :-)

So we carry on as usual. For another two months, Or until symptoms change...

Ignorance is... rather stressful bliss.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ... Saint Augustine

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)