So what has been going on? Well the day after my oncologist appointment I had a follow-up appointment with our GP, during this we discussed a number of things including my treatment "options" and we basically came up with the same options and rational. Chemo, too big of a hammer for this stage, radiation, may impact my aortic artery as one of the regions of impacted nodes is in the para aortic. watch and wait??? hmmmm I still don't like it much and will use my old friend the Internet to help me look for a fourth or fifth option to bring forward to the oncologist.
We also discussed the results of my many sessions of blood work, turns out that lymphoma sometimes involves hepatitis and I show no sign of exposure to this so he is recommending a Hep. A&B shot as a precaution (this will happen next week).
Then we discussed the conversation around my symptoms not being necessarily related to or as a result of my lymphoma (as this was suggested by the oncologist). GP sent me in for, you got it more blood work to test me for a thyroid issue. This is good news because if my symptoms are a result of thyroid then they are treatable and suddenly watching and waiting just got bearable...
We also discussed the option of getting a different oncologist and ruled this out as the one I have is VERY highly respected by his peer group and even higher by patients, a second opinion is not required as the cancer agency makes recommendations by committee and given the potential impacts of the ruled out treatments they are not something I wish to risk.
So perhaps a thyroid issue, we watch and wait plus research.
next steps and appointments are...
blood work to determine if there is a thyroid issue
blood work for the two clinical trials I have agreed to participate in
blood work for oncologist review
bone marrow biopsy to determine if the lymphoma is in my marrow
follow-up with oncologist
follow-up with GP
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