My first chemo treatment will be at the end of July. The procedure is called chemoembolization or TACE (transarterial chemoembolization). First they will treat the tumors on the right side of my liver and after about 5 weeks they will repeat the procedure on the left side. Following this I will have surgery to remove the tumor in my pancreas. I know what you're all thinking..... you're jealous I get to have all the fun! Worry not, friends, I'll try not to rub it in too much.
My super special chemo minimally effects the healthy tissue in my liver. It's delivered through a catheter in my leg directly to the tumors in the liver, shutting off their blood supply. This should cause the tumors to shrink. There are low side effects for this type of chemo. My interventional radiologist (fancy name for a cancer/chemo doc) said I'll feel like I have the flu for a few days and be tired. I think I can handle that. It's rare for a person to lose their hair during this treatment so I will retain my right to say dumb things and respond with, "I'm just a blonde!"
Dr. Johnson, the above-mentioned interventional radiologist, is a drummer in a band! So rad. I'm loving my doctors. They are fun to joke with... probably because they don't expect it. Come on, guys, cancer is funny! They are doing an amazing job working with me and my (humorous) cancer. Dr. Weinfeld, my surgeon who will perform the procedure on my pancreas down the road, came to my appointment with Dr. Johnson. Clearly he didn't need to do this and I'm sure he's a busy man. It just shows a deep level of caring I acknowledge considerably. They are working together on finding the best treatment options and progression. The doctors frequently mention they are checking with the University of Colorado and other experts while sending my charts out for them to review. I'm just so popular these days!
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