On Tuesday we met with the Oncology Radiologist, a very compassionate and caring doctor. He was excited about the new pathology report and told us it means her overall prognosis is better.
Here’s where the other shoe drops. We felt the thud.
Statistically speaking, he thinks the chance of reoccurrence without radiation is about 20%. With radiation that number goes down to 5%.
What? Why?
We were kind of blunt, such was our disappointment. He said it was a common question from people who are where we are, “Why radiate if there is no cancer?” He said that the pathology did not analyze the entire mass of tissue or lymph nodes, with this type of biopsy there is no way to possibly see all of the cells.
They base their recommended treatment for radiation on the original pathology report with the centenal node biopsy which is much more detailed.
He has not wavered in his opinion since our July visit with him. The new pathology report is clear of cancer, but there was quite a bit of scar tissue where the lymph nodes were. Even without the original pathology report this would indicate sign of cancer growth outside of the breast ducts. The surgeon actually spent longer than normal in this area because of the scar tissue.
25-30% of radiation patients are treated as preventative measure for recurrence, like Sarah, people who have no more signs of cancer after going through chemo and surgery. This is the after chemo result they hope for. Radiation is viewed as the mop up; the part that goes in to clean the targeted, known fertile areas for cancer. It’s targeting any leftover microscopic cancer cells that may be there or in the chest wall.
Needless to say this is not what we had hoped to hear, although I can’t say we did not expect it. We prayed before going in for wisdom, discernment and truth.
We are still trying to figure this flesh verses faith thing out. We know God has guided us each step of this journey. We want to believe that Sarah is healed. But we also do not want to be foolish in how we proceed.
We are grateful for the doctors and the nutritional help God has given us. We are grateful for the treatment options available to us.
We continue seeking his wisdom and guidance in her care.
God has walked step by step with us carrying Sarah all the way. We know he will continue to do so. We do not know what the next steps hold or which direction to go. Our hearts are really weighing all the information, trying to make sense of it.
We appreciate your continued prayers as we work through this.
This journey feels long, one of the kids and I were discussing this, they thought it had been a year. In reality it has only been seven months since being diagnosed. Seven long months. There have been times when it has felt too heavy to carry this burden. The hurdles left to get through feel overwhelming at times. Neither of us want this. But we do not always get to choose the path.
As you can imagine this week has been emotional as we’ve tried to process everything.
Sarah has had some good physical days, but she is finding she still has to pace herself. There is a delicate balance between pushing herself to build endurance, and overdoing it and paying for it. Her body continues to heal.
The radiologist actually said she has to heal more before starting radiation – her body isn’t ready for it. We are scheduled to meet next Wednesday with him for the simulation process. He gave her some stretches to work out her arm which has stiffened and lost range of motion. He hopes if she is diligent, she will see a difference within a week.
Please pray that God will show us which direction to go as we weigh the information, pray for wisdom and guidance.
Thank you for reading.
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