Wednesday, April 8, 2015

...and another update about the transition.

I received a very nice note from Dr. Morgan yesterday, affirming that he will continue Total Therapy and does believe Total Therapy cures standard-risk patients.  That's good news for me, for the hundreds of patients treated with Total Therapy, and for newly diagnosed and yet-to-be-diagnosed low-risk patients everywhere.

I am in the process of scheduling what will be my last follow-up with Dr. Barlogie in Little Rock, and will hopefully have the opportunity to also visit with Dr. Morgan while I am there to get his perspective on my case.  Obviously, I have no interest in getting involved in any politics -- Bart is my friend, and I'm mindful that I owe him my life...and I am also mindful that I have to do whatever best serves its longevity at this juncture.  :)

It's said there are no atheists in a foxhole -- I suspect nobody who finds him or herself in such a place is terribly concerned with office politics, either.

Separately, I also had the opportunity to look online at the specifics of my MRI.  It seems there are *seven* unresolved lesions in my thoracic spine.  Specifically, here's what the MRI says, and what we're hoping will resolve.

2. MULTIPLE SCATTERED FOCAL LESIONS WHICH ARE NOT EXPANSILE INVOLVINGTHE THORACIC VERTEBRAL BODIES AT T2-T5, T9, T10 AND T12. THESE LESIONSMEASURE BETWEEN 1-2 CM WITHOUT CANAL OR CORD COMPRESSION. NO EXTRASPINAL LOCATION OF THESE LESIONS ARE SEEN. THESE FINDINGS REMAINUNCHANGED WHEN COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS STUDY.

Importantly, few doctors (including Total Therapy disciples) believe this necessarily means anything. Dr. Tricot and Dr. Zangari (both of whom worked with Bart, the latter of whom still does) stopped doing FNAs (fine needle aspirations) of these sites after they learned that in most cases the lesion was simply filled with blood. We'll see...I do know that another seven or so lesions, most of which were significantly larger, did fill in with healthy new bone so I'm continuing to give Bart the benefit of the doubt on this and look for that resolution.

Onward!