Yesterday (Friday, Jan. 15) was presumably our last visit to the KU Cancer Center in KC. The waiting rooms were all very crowded. While we were waiting for the scans--luckily for a short time--a woman across the room began a conversation with me. She was accompanied by a man who seemed to be wearing the gaudiest, most mismatched plaid pajamas imaginable. "Do you have cancer? she asked, as if I might be there on a field trip. She went on to describe her sister's death in somewhat gruesome detail. And then she, now joined by her companion, launched into a praise-the-Lord-with-whom-all-things-can-be-cured rant . I was tempted so ask where He was when her sister died, but bit my tongue. I was called for my tests before I said anything untoward.
They did the blood draws, leaving an IV port in my arm for introduction of the contrast during the CT scans. And then I sat for about half an hour in the least comfortable part of the Center, drinking my two huge glasses of water. The scans were quickly done. I don't have to undress for these, just pull my pants down around my ankles, a process a little more complicated since I was wearing suspenders under my shirt.
Next we went up one floor to meet with the new oncologist, Dr. Hashmi. The waiting room was exceptionally packed, but we were called immediately, and after the taking of vitals, Dr. Hashmi arrived with no wait at all. He was fully informed about my case and already had some of the results. We liked the thoroughness with which he discussed what was happening and future options. The blood work was all within the normal range. The tumor on my spine, which had been radiated two months ago, had not grown, so evidently the radiation worked. There were two growths on the adrenal glands just above my left (cancerous) kidney that had grown somewhat, but not enough for immediate action. One new development was that if/when the Votrient stops being effective, there is a new class of drugs that have recently been developed and which would be the new next step of choice. (One of these is Opdivo, which I've seen advertised on TV for a specific type of lung cancer, but which also works on kidney cancer.) For the moment, though, we'll continue with the current regimen.
We had a reunion with Jennifer, the Physician Assistant to Dr. Van and someone whom we like a lot, and then a consultation with Kathy, Dr. Hamshi's rather hyperactive P.A. From now on we'll see Dr. Hashmi at a local hospital. That arrangement is obviously more convenient than having to drive to KC for each test or appointment, but it is also encouraging to know that our oncologist is affiliated with KU Med.
I can't eat before CT scans, so we met our friend TJ at a nearby breakfast and lunch restaurant, where I wolfed down eggs benedict Florentine, and we all chattered away. For some reason, despite not having had my morning nap, I still had energy. Indeed, I stayed awake the whole drive back to Topeka, though then I fell soundly asleep for two hours.
