Just when I thought my brain could absorb no more!

Today's appointment with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance was a tour de force. Checked in at 11:30, finally left around 5:30, with an hour and a half for lunch. Dad, Sue, Erika and my friend Lisa (a recent graduate of the UW School of Medicine Physician's Assistant program) were in attendance. There were so many of us that they ended up moving me from my exam room to the conference room :)

For the most part the surgeon and oncologist agreed with the doctors I saw at Overlake in Bellevue, but the main difference is the frequency and overall duration of chemo. As I said earlier, Dr. Kovach at Overlake recommended eight doses, every other week for a total of sixteen weeks. The doctor with SCCA is leaning toward once a week for twenty-four weeks. Whoa! And I thought four months was long.

While the final results of their study on the differences between weekly chemo vs. every other week are still not available, what she could tell us is that patients typically have been experiencing less severe side effects. The reason is that it's a smaller dose of chemo given in each sitting, whereas the bi-weekly dose is much greater.

I like things about each treatment recommendation. I'd prefer to get it done sooner (eight doses vs. twenty-four is big). Then again the lower dose/less intense side effects is also appealing. When I compare the doctors, I definitely preferred Dr. Kovach. He was really easy to talk to and we hit it off right away. The doctor with SCCA (her name escapes me at the moment) was nice and seems very intelligent...but she was all business and wasn't all the interest in levity. Lisa felt, as she took notes for me, that the doctor wasn't listening to me and answering my questions, that she was very roundabout. With SCCA there are world-class plastic surgeons, nutritionists and other resources at my disposal, which is also a plus.

Regarding surgeons, I really dug Dr. Byrd at SCCA, as well as Dr. Clarfeld with Overlake. I really could toss a coin and be happy with either. They were in agreement with how they felt I could proceed from a surgical standpoint, with one small discrepancy that's not even worth mentioning....more of a personal preference than anything significant to my treatment.

Next step is to do a bit more research on the pros and cons of each chemo option. I'm a bit confused right now. Really hoped that today's appointment would provide a clear path on the direction...but it didn't. There is no wrong answer.

The other interesting bit of info: I asked the oncologist today the same question about how long I've had this, and her opinion was drastically different in that she feels based on the aggressive nature of my cancer (yes it keeps getting more and more aggressive every time I talk to someone new) I haven't had it long. She said a few months and definitely not as long as five years. So who knows and I guess it doesn't really matter...it's still cancer no matter how you slice it :)

Okay...time to finish sucking down a bunch of water then hit the hay in preparation of tomorrow's PET scan. Going to be an early morning.