Last time I updated, we'd found out that Eugene was a jerk (which we actually already knew)--but we found out he was an intelligent jerk that had figured out a way to survive and grow in spite of the treatment that was previously killing him. We were looking at starting a new treatment regimen/drug cocktail, and hoping for the best. Which is what you do when you have cancer, because if you don't then you begin your descent into an endless spiral of depression and despair--not a place I want to go.
Well--go figure...smart little Eugene wasn't thwarted by the new cocktail, and we've since found out that he's managed to grow even more! I know--bastard. So we did the crying in the doctor's office thing again where I repeatedly assure the oncologist that I'm okay while simultaneously suppressing the urge to scream as loud as I can. Because I'm not sad--I'm angry. Angry that this little asshole of an invader keeps trying to change my plans and affect my life in ways that I'm not okay with. The little middle eastern oncologist guy continues to look at me with the really annoying stare of pity--which I hate--and starts talking through our options. I don't want "options"...I want "solutions", and I want them now. Unfortunately, that's not on the agenda. Oh, there are clinical trials, we can't do radiation, there are some random chemotherapy regimens that we could try at reduced dosages...we can call and see what MD Anderson has available (this is the perfect time to mention that we asked him to do that two months ago), or there's this thing called cryoablation that we can try.
Cryoablation--sounds kinda sci-fi-ish and exciting, right? Apparently some doctor had come and given a seminar to the oncology department about this procedure where he inserts probes and uses directed therapy to freeze away portions of whatever the target structure happens to be--in this case it would be Eugene. It wasn't a guaranteed deal, and it's not technically an approved treatment for my condition, but it sounds like a good idea and we decided it was worth a shot. So the good doctor made some calls, and after a nice little romp with the medical records department (more on that later), I had a call from the other doctor (we'll call him Mr. Freeze) to schedule a consultation as we were walking out of the clinic--quick turnaround...this was promising. We got the appointment set up, and I felt like progress had been made. It still wasn't a sure thing, but I was exceedingly optimistic. It won't be curative, and it won't completely get rid of Eugene, but it'll cut him down to size and buy us some time to get to Houston and start treatment at MDA.
Before I go on with my tales of meeting Mr. Freeze, just a quick note regarding the individuals in charge of medical records--you all suck. And you're mean. Maybe not all medical records departments are like this, but these ladies were seriously mean and not helpful in the least--until I started crying and Chris got really mad. At that point, the first lady decided that she was actually capable of doing her job...then we had to go back up to radiology to get copies of all my scans put onto a disc--a task that is apparently far more challenging than I previously understood. It was taking forever, so I went back up to check on the progress and found the lady that was supposed to be doing it stuffing her face with fried egg rolls as she dropped food on my chart. Thanks...big help. Eventually we got everything we needed and left that place for what we hope will be the last time.
While I was coordinating things with Mr. Freeze's office, I also got a call from the folks at MD Anderson! Turns out my doctor had finally done what he told us he would do two months previous, and actually called them to have my case transferred over. So we're currently in the MDA system and on the verge of scheduling my first appointment with the doctors in Houston. Oh, Texas--how I cannot wait to return to thee...
So it's been a busy couple of weeks--movers came last week and took all but the essentials, which are currently en route to the homeland. Our lease was up on the house we were living in this morning, so I'm officially homeless for the next 9 days--fortunately we have a guesthouse here at the lab that I can stay in free of charge. I had my appointment with Mr. Freeze this morning, and he agreed to do the procedure...this Thursday (yay!). I'm still working on wrapping up all the loose ends in Athens, preparing for my grown up job, arranging things for our move back to Texas, and trying to make sure everything is in order for this conference I have to go to next weekend. No big deal.
Fortunately I have an incredible support system--here in Athens and back home--and I have all of my Facebook friends to keep me entertained and keep my spirits up in the meantime. We're still staying positive, keeping the faith, and focusing on moving forward at whatever rate we can. A rougher road means a more rewarding destination, right? That's what I'm telling myself. We'll see what Mr. Freeze can do, and then we'll be on our way to TX!
As always, thank you all for reading, for caring, and for your unending support and prayers!
