Wow - Things Happened Fast

I saw the neurosurgeon today to take out the staples. One thing I asked was about how soon I might be able to have surgery to take the tumor off my chest and what might delay that.

The answer is that radiation delays it.

Then he said that I do have another option to radiation - another surgery to remove that second tumor that is near the top center of my head.

Wow. I didn't see that coming. I wondered if it was operable and why no one ever mentioned it. I guess I didn't ask the right people or even think to ask.

He can do the surgery next week.

I am going to go ahead and get rid of the damn thing. Then I know it's gone. With radiation, we'd have to wait 2+ months to see if it worked. Surgery would let me know almost immediately if they got it all. Then radiation would be a precaution to prevent more growth rather than a necessity to kill what's there.

Wow. My head is still spinning.

But if I get it done next week, then we can contemplate next steps that much sooner, rather than "waiting and seeing". I like that idea. I also get off the steroids and anti-seizure meds sooner, which means I sleep and eat better. I can get back to "normal" sooner rather than later. Also, getting off steroids means wounds heal faster. I can probably get off steroids within a week after this surgery - otherwise, I was looking at another 6 weeks. I already feel better knowing that I will be getting better rest sooner rather than later.

Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday June 1. That will be surgery #3 in two months - April 1, May 20, and June 1. I will be home next Friday, June 3.

Wow.

In the meantime, the wound in my armpit is slowly healing. In fact the largest area that needs skin to grow was 6x8cm (about) on Tuesday and seems to be about 5x4cm today. I even looked at it for the first time in a long time and wasn't traumatized. I think I can even begin changing my own dressing. It's been a long 8 weeks since that surgery happened.

As for the tumor on my chest, I made a paste or concoction using turmeric, my five mushroom blend herb (3 with anticancer properties), and melatonin. I've put it on the last two mornings. When I changed the dressing this morning, the area seemed better. Healthier. Not so raw. Let's hope the anticancer properties in the concoction start shrinking that lump as chemo will have difficulty getting to that area from below because of how badly scarred that tissue is from surgery and radiation. Maybe this topical treatment will take care of things while we take care of the brain issue.

Wow.