Hello All, We visited with Hanks oncologist, Dr. McCravey, today - TopicsExpress



          

Hello All, We visited with Hanks oncologist, Dr. McCravey, today to get the big picture of what we need to do. I am going to try to keep this simple so I hope it makes since in the end. And Hank told me not to waste too much time on this computer, it was pretty outside and I probably needed to get chicken feed and give them some attention ...... smh..... So the bottom line is.... Hank has the one lesion on the right side of his brain that is less than 3CM in size. It is treatable so we will be meeting with his radiation oncologist, Dr. Gefter, on Friday to go over the details of the procedure. The correct name for the procedure is Stereotactic Radiosurgery. We have learned that radiation either kills tumor cells directly or interferes with their ability to grow. However, radiation cannot tell the difference between tumor cells and healthy cells—it affects both. There is a special type of radiation that allows precisely focused, high-dose x-ray beams to be delivered to a small, localized area of the brain. Because SRS focuses the beams more closely to the tumor than conventional radiation, it can deliver a higher, more effective dose of treatment to the tumor site. This highly focused form of radiation is called radiosurgery. How Stereotactic Radiosurgery is Delivered is basicly like what he received with the whole brain radiation treatment except focusing the radiation tightly on the tumor is possible through the use of highly specialized computer-assisted equipment. A head frame or face mask used for this treatment allows very precise setup, localization, and treatment of the tumor. Using advanced computer planning, radiosurgery minimizes the amount of radiation received by normal brain tissue and focuses radiation in the area to be treated. At the time of treatment, an intravenous (IV) line is started to provide easy access for delivery of steroids or relaxing medications. Some forms of radiosurgery require the patient to wear a lightweight head frame (“halo”) or a face mask. This equipment is designed to help the doctor define the exact location of the tumor and keep the head from moving during treatment. Once the head frame or face mask is in place, scans are taken and the treatment plan is calculated. The actual treatment can range from 15 minutes to about two hours. Once treatment is complete, the head frame or face mask is removed and the patient returns home. Occasionally, a patient might be kept overnight for observation. Most patients feel able to resume their usual activities within a day or two. Most people have few or no side effects from SRS. Side effects experienced are usually due to brain edema (swelling) caused by the radiation. These symptoms can include: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches. ( no biggie though these symptoms can be controlled with proper medication. Could have hair loss in the area treated following the procedure. But thats not a big deal, I like him bald headed. smile emoticon Hank will be doing a kind of metastatic melanoma treatment known as immunotherapy, Yervoy. Yervoy was approved by the FDA to treat melanoma that has spread or cannot be removed by surgery. It does not kill melanoma directly. It is thought to work by helping to boost the body’s natural immune system. Yervoy may not work in all patients and may affect healthy cells too, which could result in serious side effects in many parts of the body, which I will not go into because the list is as long as my arm. I appreciate everyone sending us messages of what other people have tried and it worked or gave longer life expectancy than they began with. And I assure you I research everything everyone tells me about. But every cancer is different and responds to only certain kinds of treatment. Metastatic melanoma is the least common skin cancer. It’s also the most deadly because it spreads (metastasizes) quickly and easily to other parts of the body. In 2013, 76,690 people were diagnosed with melanoma in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. In the same year, 9,480 died of the disease. Approximately half of patients with metastatic melanoma have tumors with mutations in a gene called BRAF. These patients are often treated with one of several targeted therapies approved by the FDA. These treatments, however, are not effective in patients whose tumors do not have BRAF mutations, which in this case is Hank. I say all of this not to be a negative Nellie, but to help everyone understand what we are dealing with. We have to compare apples to apples. And believe me if there was a miracle pill/treatment/surgery out there Hank would be the first in line. I spoke someone today that has been following Hanks story... in the oncologist office.... guess what they were there for..... CANCER. Her husband, herself and their children are going thru some of the same stuff as we are. She/He told me that they didnt even get on Facebook like they used to because they would read something sad and just breakdown. I cannot say that I dont do the same thing. A memory, a smell, a song, a book, a place. I just breakdown. I have gone thru so many stages sad, lonely, angry, it goes on and on. Yes I am strong. I have to be for my husband and my daughter. The very first day we found out he had brain cancer, do you know what he said? Better me than a child. Before he went in to have his brain surgery, you know what he said? Baby, if I dont make it thru please know I have had a good life. And remember Im glad its me and not you or Kate. And do you know what he told me last night? Baby whatever happens please remember, I lived the best part of my life with you and the babies. We had some great times. And if they cant help me, maybe what they learn from studying me will save someone else. My husband is one of the most loving, caring, selfless men I know! And how I wish I could make it all go away. My husband is the strong one. Im just lucky enough to be his wife and his best friend. A friend once told me: This is not a perfect world physically or spiritually. God doesnt change all that because we are not His play toys, we are living the lives that we are given physically and to some extent living the lives that we have chosen spiritually. Hank has lived a life of integrity and has been a strong loyal person. But his body has a bad cancer and it cant fight it. Hank has done the best he could with what he has, and not many people can say that. Yes, Hank is very sick. I only pray that God will give him many, many more wonderful years with us. But please, please know that we are doing everything we can to keep him with us. He is strong, pig-headed and doesnt like to lose to anyone or anything. Treat him like you always have, hes not any different than when we began this journey. Except a little more mouthy with me, LOL..... He has never liked much attention, but he absolutely loves the cards, letters and posts you leave him. He actually smiles when he reads them or when I read them to him. We cannot thank our family and friends enough for all of the support and love you have shown us. All I can say is dont take advantage of the people you love being here forever, for none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Laugh as much as you breathe, Love as long as you live. Thats our motto!
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 03:32:04 +0000

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