Paging Dr. Ray Donc

     I walked 3 miles with my dog the other day--for me, that qualifies as a half marathon! To be honest, I hadn't planned on walking 3 miles, but I got a little turned around and couldn't find my way out of this one neighborhood.  By the time I finally figured it out (chemo brain? general directional impairment?) and made my way home, well, there was 3 miles.  Thank goodness my dog is 11-years old and was willing to walk as slowly as I was without complaint (who am I kidding, it gives her more opportunities to sniff and pee).  And I volunteered to judge for the past two days for a tournament on behalf of my daughter's team, and I survived without falling asleep (embarrassing!) during my judging!  Both are evidence that I am feeling stronger and better and, I have to say, it was really lovely to be involved in something normal and routine like I used to be.
     We met with the radiation oncologist who works with the proton beam machine.  When the hematology oncologist at the facility first talked to us about setting up an appointment, I thought she was going to set me up with this guy, Dr. Ray Donc.  It took me a moment to realize that what she said was:  "I'm going to make an appointment for you with RadOnc."  Meaning radiation oncology.  Duh.  But for our purposes I'll just keep calling him Ray Donc.
     Hubs and I really like the guy--he is a straight shooter, clear, thorough, good at listening and answering questions in a manner that is both detailed and refreshingly "layperson" friendly.  He laid out benefits, percentages, and possible short- and long-term radiation effects of IMRT (regular/current standard) radiation and of proton beam radiation.
     Now I'm even more excited about the possibility of proton beam therapy.  Using this technology would allow me to avoid increasing my risk of developing a radiation-induced breast cancer, esophageal cancer, and/or heart disease (arteriosclerosis/hardening of the arteries).  Considering that radiation can cut the likelihood of my relapsing in half, I'm all for it.  I'm just not all-for the potential quality-of-life altering side effects that radiation could possibly bring.
     The beauty part of all this is that right now the facility charges the same for IMRT as proton beam because they have a vested interest in accumulating long-term data on the reduction of radiation side effects when using this machine:  They can't get the data if the insurance won't pay for treatment.  And the other beauty part is their radiation oncology "panel" reviewed my case and they think I am an ideal candidate--tumor location wise and general health and age wise; it's likely I will live long enough to, if I were going to be unlucky enough to, experience radiation side effects--if I were much older and in poor health, it would be more likely I would die before ever developing the long-term side effects.  That sounds harsh, but that's the way an insurance company would argue against it.  So these folks are going to work on getting approval, and they seem pretty enthusiastic about taking on the project.
     I've been so impressed all along this journey with the caliber of doctors, nurses, and technicians who have been been a part of my care--I can only wish to be so lucky in my "regular life" interactions with doctors.  The compassionate care and the sterling communication skills of these medical professionals is something I would hope every medical care provider would aspire to show patients.
     The PET is scheduled for April 12, and I'll meet with my regular oncologist for results on April 14.  I'll be able to give you the "what size fruit" report on the tumor after that!