Radiation??

Sorry I have not posted anything new to my blog in a few days. For those of you who are on FB and friends with me, you know that I have a ton of information swimming around in my mind. For some reason, the thought of Radiation is terrifying me. Benton and I met with the Radiation Oncologist on Monday, 12/7/09, at Roper Hospital. Her name was Dr. Decker. We both really liked her - very straight forward and to the point. Not too "mushy", "sweet", or "giddy"...just a simple to the point kind of doctor. We went through a ton of questions with her. The biggest question in our mind was "If they apparently got all the cancer in the biopsy and/or lumpectomy, and all the pathology reports from surgery have come back negative, WHY do I need radiation?".

Well, many factors play into the reason why they medically recommend radiation...
1. My cancer was a Grade 3 aggressive cancer;
2. I am young and radiation will greatly minimize the chance of recurrence;
3. I was w/in 1mm of invasion (spreading) of the cancer.

The invasion report is somewhat vague because it was within 1 mm. They can not tell me 100% that it was an invasive cancer but they can not rule it out either. We caught the cancer so early that we caught it before there was any obvious sign of invasion. Make sense? Some days it does make sense to me, others it does not.

Benton and I have received information not only from the Radiologist but also from others who may not necessarily agree with radiation as a treatment option. We have been trying to sort through all the information in our heads to make the best decision for my treatment. We keep coming back to the decision of "let's do both".

Both "treatments" would include radiation and a change of diet/lifestyle. We all know that sugar is bad for our bodies right? Common sense tells us this! We also know that exercise is very important to our health. Again, common sense tells us this. So, why not have the radiation and also begin changing our lifestyle to begin eating healthier and exercising regularly.

The radiation treatment plan would be 5 days a week for 5-7 weeks. Yup, driving from Summerville to downtown Charleston for almost 2 months. Fun? No, not really, but it's my health and my future we are talking about here. Yes, our gasoline bill will increase slightly for those 2 months but if it kills the malignant cells that may be left in my body I think I can handle it. The surgeon's office has also referred me to a Radiologist at Trident (aaaaa!) and I have a tentative appointment there on 12/28/09. Trident is only a 15 min drive for me where Roper is about 30-45 min depending on traffic. I still have my fear of Trident though based on my biopsy experience. Both Benton and I are very comfortable with Roper Hospital so we most likely will stick to that plan.

So that's where we stand folks. No final decision has been made. I continue to pray to God for his guidance and wisdom to make the best decision for me. He is the Great Physician, and he knows what is in store for me. I need to continue trusting in Him and he will guide me through the whole process.

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."