Just got off a phone call with my doctor. So still processing. I am hanging in, but the cancer has spread. Had three drug trials. Last one failed a couple of weeks ago. Cancer has spread a lot, with a particular large burst in spine and lungs (been dealing with them for years, but now have really got problematic.)
Waiting to hear if they will be doing surgery (if possible) on the spine. If so it would be ASAP. Within a matter of days. So far it is still open - the tumor board meets tomorrow (May 5) and I will have conversation with the surgeon shortly thereafter. Radiation will probably happen regardless of surgery, though I had radiation in 2018. My doctor said subsequent rounds of radiation usually not as effective. Also an issue about if the tumors can be radiated due to their positioning near my spinal cord.
My lungs also are extremely problematic. There were a couple of tumors that were large and considered for radiation. But in a matter of a couple of months there are too many. Depending on how the surgery is done it will affect when I will be able to try something for the lungs - may be going back to my first chemo. But all of this is catching up. My doctor said the build up over time is why it is harder for my to bounce back each treatment. And that I should start considering quality of life. I will keep on pushing. But between the back pain and surgery, there would be a recovery time which will make it hard for me to stay ahead on the exercise part of things. Which is critical.
As my doctor said, most people would be gone. My appearance and what I am do and continue to do is completely opposite of what is actually going inside my body. One of the insidious parts of the CRC is that if you have it long enough, it keeps on twisting and changing. It goes into areas where it is more difficult (if not impossible) to treat.
Anyway, the spinal pain is under control with steroids for the last week, so I did manage two runs (on treadmill) for 7 miles and a 25 hour bike run. Yesterday I went to the ballpark to shoot some photos. So between the run yesterday and walking, managed 5 miles altogether.
Bottom line things are rather less than stellar at this point. Still not official time limit - my doctor is not one to do that, though it came close to being told that today. Reading between the lines, it is pretty clear. That being said, my plan is to have this come up as a memory of a post to FB (or elsewhere) in a year that I can bump it. If you are placing bets, however, take the under. I have made it a lot further than most. Now I just need a little bit more luck.
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