New Doctor. More Tests.

We met with a new oncologist who we will work with to determine my treatment.

This Monday, Roni and I had an appointment with a Dr. Lynn Ratner (Dr. Ratner is a male doctor). Dr. Richard Warner, the Carcinoid specialist we saw a couple of weeks ago, referred him to us. He has been treating cancer for many years and although he has not dealt with my particular cancer in a few years, he has kept up with the latest developments. He is even willing to reach out to other oncologists and specialists for help. An example of this is while we were meeting with him, we asked about a form of treatment that is being performed by a Dr. Paul Sugarbaker in Washington DC. He said that he had heard of the treatment, but needs to get more information before he can suggest it for my situation. He then looked through his directory and found Dr. Sugarbaker’s phone number and placed a call. Dr. Sugarbaker was not available, so he was told that one of his associates would call him back later. (Later that day, Dr. Ratner called back to inform us that he was able to talk to the doctor in DC, and they would be willing to see me. I am not sure if this is necessary or not, but to know that this route is available is a good thing.)

Before any treatment can be done, we first need to get a new CT Scan done that will be our baseline for determining my treatment. For those who don’t know CT stands for Computed Tomography Imaging (don’t ask me why they don’t call it a CTI scan.) For those who don’t know what this is, it is like a high tech x-ray that scans your body in sections and is able to create a 3D view of the area they are scanning. The problem is that you need to be given a “contrast agent”. Usually this is given orally and consists of drinking about 36 to 48 oz of the agent. When I had this done during my time in the emergency room, the contrast agent was given to me through a NG tube (if you can avoid it, never get a NG tube) so I didn’t have to drink it. Next time, I would rather drink it. If you would like more info on CT scans, you can find it here.

Apart from a CT scan, I will also have to have a PET scan done. PET stand for Positron Emission Tomography. (You can find more info on PET scans here,) Instead of a “contrast agent”, a PET scan uses a “tracer” which is injected (great, more needles).

As mentioned above, these two tests will be used to determine the next steps in my treatment. So right, now this is about all we know. Not as much as I would like, but we are on our way. (BTW-These tests have not been scheduled yet, but hopefully will be next week.)

Another thing we keep hearing is that studies show that having a positive attitude goes a long way to recovery. So I am trying to keep a positive attitude that I will beat this and be cancer free after my treatment. And as for something to look forward to, Roni and I are planning a trip after I am better. We will be going to the Badlands of South Dakota, somewhere I have wanted to visit for awhile now. I have always wanted to see Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, the site of Custer’s last stand, the Badlands, and of course, Deadwood, SD, the town where Wild Bill Hickock lived and was killed. Our current plan is to fly to Rapid City, SD and rent a Harley, find a nice place to stay and spend about a week riding, site-seeing and relaxing.