Plan B; and the rub….

 

Yesterday, we discovered what lurked behind door number one. Today, we take a look behind the curtain. (A little trip to Let’s Make a Deal TV Land). That’s what it seems like to me anyway.

This morning I met with my Radiation Oncologist. This is the same doctor who has treated me twice before.

He offers me a no knife no pain option called Radiosurgery. Well, to be  exact it is Image-Guided Stereotactic Radiosurgery. Radiosurgery uses a treatment beam contoured to the exact shape of the tumor. Treatment sessions for me will be 5 times (one week) for an expected duration of one hour each.

The side effects should; ; ; ; Should; ah hum! should be less that what I experienced with the Radiation(s) to my throat. I trust him and that seems logical to me.

So, no knife, no pain, no hospital; heck lets do this.

I want to digress for one second, prior to the rub. (Hay, this is me, there is always a rub.)

One digression topic: there really is no way to know for sure if this is a new primary for lung cancer or my old cancer coming back, unless or until we do Option A, the surgery. All of the doctors fell that their best guess right now is this is a new primary for lung cancer.

Second digression topic: I have gained one half pound in weight since the time of my biopsy.

And now; the RUB.

This procedure requires that I be restrained in my mid section. Much like my throat, I will have a restraint ‘carriage’ if you will, over my body. Part of that restraint has a weight which presses down just below my lungs to prevent movement of the lungs due to breathing. Remember, the treatment takes an hour. No big deal, I can do this….Oh wait, I have a feeding tube right where the weighted portion is to lay on my stomach. Just pressing on it is painful. A weight pressed on it for an hour?

At the end of the month we will do a dry run, getting set up, measured and fitted for the device. We will see. As always, I have to have the painful version of every damn life extending procedure I have had to date. Why not! What, I thought option B would be a cake walk?

OK, there you have the options. I selected option B, the Radiosurgery. If I can not endure the procedure, I shall be scrubbed and prepped for surgery. Oh well, at least I have an option, that’s more than some can say.

Today, like every day, is a struggle to endeavor to persevere.

(10 bonus if you know what movie that is from)