I Talked to My Doc Tonight

Dr Lindsey Rockwell and me
August 2018

This post is more of less an update for all those who have asked, I spoke with my oncologist tonight.  The waiting game can be mental torture, not only for a patient, but, for the family and friends as well.   

Dr. Rockwell is an amazing oncologist that has really shown care and compassion while treating me, much to my liking.  I really missed seeing and talking with her this past couple of weeks while I had to deal with the doctors and hassles of Mass General Hospital in Boston where I felt I had been reduced to a patient number, which they never even told me what my number was.  Dealing with them raised the stress level into the stratosphere at times.  It's been getting better, but Joel Osteen really grounded me today with his "You can not be defeated" message.  I was reminded that I am in God's favor and I will not be defeated.

We won't go into my frustrations with the people of Mass General in Boston, that's negative and doesn't add to where we need to be - positive and in fight mode.  Dr. Rockwell (Mass General at Cooley-Dickinson Northampton, MA) spoke with my new lead oncologist, Dr Jill Allen at Mass General - Boston today and called me with the run down.  

Dr Allen had a conference with Dr Cristina Ferrone, a  surgical specialist in Gastrointestinal malignancies and metastatic liver disease, Immunologic treatment of solid tumors and GI malignancies.  Dr Ferrone feels the colon cancer spot, or two, on my liver is a good candidate to be resected.  That's good news, however, my plan is that the tumor will be destroyed and dead before that has to happen ... I will NOT be defeated, Dr Ferrone is just my plan B.  The second potential spot was listed as "concerning" and could also be resected if necessary.

Dr Allen did not have as much concern with the solid spot on my lung (lower left) and for now, it will be in a sit and watch status.  I think they are hoping it is unrelated and I'm hoping it will be reduced with the impending chemotherapy I'm going back on.  Nevertheless, they are doing nothing with it for now, but I will be something about it ... because I will NOT be defeated.

I will go to Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley-Dickinson sometime soon to sign the Consent to Treat forms that are necessary for chemo.  I asked why I had to sign new forms and was told it was a requirement anytime a chemo regiment is changed. I asked if that was a requirement of their lawyers for me to sign all the fine print in order to protect them if something goes haywire - she chuckled a bit and more or less agreed.  I'll do all that with her PA, Marnie Scott, who is just as incredible as Dr Rockwell.

Other tidbits including questions I asked and the responses:

• I need to restart taking my Lovenox which was stopped prior to having the biopsy.  That's taken as a blood clot preventative since I have a triple threat for blood clots.
• There is no issue with me adding over the counter vitamin D3 to my daily intake.
• Dr Rockwell was unfamiliar with EISSAC Tea.  I had read several articles on the subject, including where it came from, Nurse Cassie (EISSAC is Cassie backwards).  Some articles were very positive, others not so positive.  I'm going to do more research on this before I decide to try it - I never did care for tea, but, in my case, you do what it takes to eliminate it.
• Dr Rockwell had no issue with me adding Cannabis Oil to my medical marijuana use (which I have not been using other than to give it a little try early on in my original chemotherapy treatment).  I've been reading a lot and, whether or not there is scientific proof whether or not it kills cancer, there are way too many testimonials to ignore it as a potential cure or aid in the relief and elimination of cancer.  I will document my journey down this road for others to follow or use to determine whether it helps me, or not, at my new CanCannaCure website.  Post there will be specific to any use of cannabis oils and medical treatments, not normally the narrative like I spew out here.
• Dr Rockwell also confirmed, should I choose to look elsewhere for treatment, rather than at Mass General, she said she has many associates at Dana-Farber she could work with and remain my local oncologist - this made me very happy.  We are going to wait until after I meet Dr Ferrone on January 22nd and will discuss further.

That's it for the update!

Now for the commercial message.  I sincerely appreciate all the support so many of you have provided to me via social media, direct messages and emails, cards int he mail, and especially with your financial donations to my Relay For Life Team.  Thus far, we, you and I collectively, have collected nearly $1,000.00.  That is so very awesome, thank you.

For those that have not been able to make that contribution yet, you can make a tax deductible donation in support of me and my team by clicking here:  My Relay For Life Donation page, you'll get your tax deductible receipt directly from the American Cancer Society.  I so much appreciate you digging deep!

That's it until I hear from Marnie in the next day or so ...  be great and be positive, never ever how important you are to me, you ROCK!