We head back to the hospital again to meet the oncologist.
He seems straightforward and explains things clearly and we feel MUCH better afterwards.
The lowdown...
• It’s treatable and could mean I live years if I respond to the treatment (let’s hope so!)
• The liver tumours are currently small - the biggest being 12mm (equivalent of a raisin in a loaf of bread - in fact, he told me the liver is about the size of a loaf!!)
• It’s confined to one vertebrae and my sternum
• I will receive a monthly injection (Denosumab) to stop my bones from dissolving which will also reduce my chest pain.
• There's some enlarged tissue around my sternum which they hope to test to see if it is the same type of cancer as before (ER+ which means it is hormone driven - estrogen and progesterone)
• They also want to see if it is now HER2+. This would mean I can have a drug called Herceptin, although this is unlikely as it wasn’t HER2+ the first time around.
• The drug plan will probably be hormone treatment and chemotherapy, but this depends on the biopsy results and should eradicate the liver cancer (keeping fingers crossed)
• I’ll start radiotherapy for my bones soon
He gave me a prescription for painkillers including morphine (as I am still in a lot of pain) and then Tim said ‘don’t forget to ask him about tomorrow night’.
Er, so I was thinking because I’ve got cancer in the liver that I wouldn’t be able to drink anymore. So I said, ‘We’re meant to be going out for new year’s eve tomorrow and I didn’t know if I can have alcohol’.
He said don’t worry as the liver can take a lot being thrown at it!
Here’s to a fun new year?!
Until next week, Kate. xx
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