CT-PET Scan Day

Today was a good day in the fight.

Sue and I woke early this morning, walked Louie and drove to Hoag Irvine to get PET and CT Scans done.  I've had the CT scans already a few times, but didn't know what to expect with the PET scan. They give you some kind of radioactive sugar based injection and you wait around for an hour or so for the juices to mix properly in your system.  Then they lay you in the CT machine for about 30-40 minutes while the PET scan does it's thing.  The PET scan display "lights up" all the cancer in you body.  In my case, doctors were most concerned about what had shown up on my liver.  The good news is that there was only one spot detected now on my liver (originally two) and it DID NOT light up at all.  The lymph node has trace amounts as does the mass in my pancreas.  Good News for a change.

So...Dr. Chen (my current HMO Oncologist) is suggesting that I go straight to the head of the class and visit a pancreatic surgeon right away.  That will take place tomorrow at 10AM at the City of Hope, thanks to our dear friend Chuck Reilly, with world renown Dr.Yuman Fong.  He is said to be as good as their is.  I am also arranging for a second surgical consultation with Dr. Nissan at Cedars, who also has an impressive reputation in this field.

Our fingers are crossed that we can go directly to a surgical stage now and later follow up with Chemo as necessary.  This would not have been possible if the liver was proven cancerous at this time.

Should have some immediate news on my options after tomorrow's visit at City of Hope.
Fingers crossed!


Waiting around with radioactive juice in my body.