2006-08-25 : More Bad News From Mom's Doctor
I've been feeling pretty numbed out since Wednesday. We went to the oncologist (and mom was supposed to have another chemo treatment) and there was bad news from the onocologist. The chemo isn't working (AGAIN) and he thinks there might be a larger (or maybe small, multiple) tumor(s) in her pelvic area. This is very disappointing, of course. She is going for a CAT scan today to see what it looks like inside. She's got to drink two bottles of this milky white substance (I think its called a contrast medium). She still has been throwing up off and on. I just feel so bad for her. The doctor said we have a few drugs left to try and he'll start her on another one next Wednesday. He said about 25% of patients with recurring ovarian cancer respond to this drug. That isn't a great statistic, but all we can do is continue to have hope. If all chemo drugs are tryed and none work then she'll start trying clinical trials. I wonder if she'll have to have surgery. If she has a large mass (or several large masses) then she'll probably have to have surgery AGAIN. If the tumors are all over the outside of her intestines that she might end up with a colostomy, but that wouldn't be the end of the world she has said. Please keep your fingers crossed. At this point (because her health continues to decline) I don't know whether I'll be going back to my job or not. Ideally it would be better for me to work a very part-time job just to bring in a little money or to continue not to work at all. I want to go with her to her treatments and take care of her when she is very ill, etc. I think I would regret being at work all the time while my mom was slowing dying (which is what it feels like sometimes)