5/3/11 SIRT

So much has happened since my last post…so many new developments it’s been hard to wrap my head around everything that has gone on. I spent the week worried about what the next step in this whole process would be, but I realized that worrying wasn’t going to help or fix anything. It was time for me to be patient and let things unfold before I tried to worry about things which were way beyond my control. Over the weekend some relatives came over and it was great to see them and have them here in Jersey. I felt great since I haven’t had treatment in a while and for some time it almost felt like things were back to normal. Of course it was back to reality and back to visit another doctor on Monday. We arrived at the main facility at Sloan-Kettering yesterday and we didn’t know what to expect. My Dad had a folder of information about different types of procedures he had questions about and I just knew I had to remain calm and listen carefully to what the doctor would tell me. We waited about an hour to see the doctor, even though my parents were getting antsy I was playing games on my iphone and knew that the long wait probably meant he spends a lot of time with his patients. This assumption was comforting to me because I don’t like doctors who only spend a minute or two with you especially when you are going to be discussing something which could potentially be life-changing.

The office worker called us back and we found our place in a small examination room. The doctor was almost immediately in the room and I instantly felt better about everything because he came in and radiated confidence and a caring nature that was hard to ignore. We got to talking about the possible procedure and he immediately showed us pictures of my CT scans and said he wanted to do the SIRT procedure on me. The schedule of events and description of the procedure are going to be the best I can do…there was a lot of information being thrown my way and here is how I understood it all:

The SIRT procedure is effective in stopping tumor growth for 6-12 months usually and can sometimes kill some of the cancerous tissue. After the 6-12 month period, if things start to grow again, the procedure can be repeated and is usually just as effective. This Friday I am scheduled for another CT scan as well as a PET scan…these scans will allow the doctors to get a better look at my blood vessels and get a better idea of where each vein and artery lead. After these scans, I will then go next Wednesday for a somewhat “dry” run of the procedure. A small incision will be made in my leg near my hip and a tiny catheter will be placed into the main artery. Other catheters and instruments will then be snaked up the artery and close to my liver. This procedure will give the doctor a better look at the exact blood vessels they will need to temporarily block when they give the radioactive dose so they do not harm any of my other organs. The entire procedure will be simulated and a non-radioactive dye will be released to mimic the path of the SIR-spheres. As long as less than 20% of this dye reaches my lungs then we are able to proceed…if more than 20% gets to my lungs, then I am no longer a candidate for SIRT.

Assuming everything goes well with the “mapping” stage I will have the actual procedure done on May 27^th. Since the liver will be receiving radiation, they are only able to treat one side of the organ at a time to reduce the risk of total liver failure and death. After the first dose I will have to wait six weeks and undergo the procedure again in July. So in total I'll have the outpatient procedure three times...hopefully I'll be able to play some golf in-between! From what I’m told it sounds like it will leave me feeling very tired and without much of an appetite for two weeks. They also say I could experience flu-like symptoms with a low grade fever as well as some nausea and vomiting. Sounds fun!

I’m not scared or nervous about receiving this treatment, I just hope like hell it works. I knew that at the beginning of everything there would come a time when I might have to do something like this and I welcome the opportunity as long as it can help move things in the right direction. The next few months are busy between the Relay for Life events here in NJ as well as CT, but the way the schedule works out I will be at both. There’s a chance I won’t be feeling well for the one in Cheshire, but I will be there and participate as much as my body lets me. That is the point of the Relay…cancer is not something that is fought alone; I cannot walk throughout the night on my own. That’s why I will have all of you there…my army will be present and together WE will walk all night and show everyone that no matter how difficult it gets or how I feel, together we can achieve anything because we are RELENTLESS.