Round Four

This is a post I hoped I would not have to write. The cancer is back. We had an idea that it was, but it wasn't confirmed until yesterday up at UW-Madison. About 2 weeks ago Ron noticed a lump in his right cheek. It seemed to vary in size from day to day and it was very painful. The last week of March was my spring break from work and we did go to Missouri. It was there that I really started to think that something was wrong. Ron slept from 12-16 hours a day the whole time we were there and he didn't even realize he was sleeping that much. And to my sister, the nurse, his fatigue was very telling.
We had a normal check-up with the surgeon scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, and as soon as he came in and examined Ron he said it didn't look good at all. He did a punch biopsy and sent it to pathology to be read immediately. We were then sent to a Radiation Oncologist there, where the possibility of brachytherapy was mentioned. The RO thought that if the tumor was very localized, the therapy would work for Ron. So we left there knowing that although the cancer was back, we had a radiation option, which surprised us.
Thursday, April 9 we had an appointment with Ron's longtime Medical Oncologist. He said that brachytherapy at this point would do Ron more harm than good. It would be good if the tumor was localized, but he said that Ron had cancer all over his mouth at this point and that the therapy would be very hard on him, and give him no benefit. He is going to start Chemotherapy in two weeks. We don't know for how long. We have an appointment on Monday to get a new PORT installed, Tuesday for a PET/CT fusion to see if the cancer has spread, and Thursday for Chemo training. I can only assume by training that it means that Ron will have a portable pump hooked up for days at a time at home. We are not really sure at this point what the Chemo will be. The MO mentioned Carboplatin, Taxol, and 5FU, with the addition of Erbitux possibly.
That is some heavy duty chemo, so of course I am worried about Ron's ability to withstand it. His first chemo session is scheduled for April 23.
This is the second time that the cancer has come back within 8 weeks of a major salvage surgery. Further surgery will probably not be an option, but I can't say for sure. Ron is willing to do much more than I would, but he knows that no matter what, his family is all here for him. We are not giving up by any means. I am just incredibly sad that he has to go through this again. Please pray for everyone with cancer, as they may be closer than you think.