All Things Work Together For Good...

We learned yesterday that I will have to have surgery (PC-RPLND) after all. Even though my serum markers normalized, my CT scan revealed a 2.1 centimeter nodule in my abdomen. It could be one of three things:

Necrosis - a mass of dead cells that presents no serious risk. After primary chemotherapy, if postchemotherapy RPLND is performed, histological findings of the mass will consist of necrosis 45% of the time.

Teratoma - a benign tumor that grows very slowly, but over time could degenerate into some other form of cancer that is not responsive to chemotherapy. If it grows large enough, it could also lead to organ dysfunction. After primary chemotherapy, if postchemotherapy RPLND is performed, histological findings of the mass will consist of teratoma 45% of the time.

Persistent cancer - 10% of the time, the mass may contain residual germ cell cancer. In this case, surgery may cure the cancer. Additional postoperative chemotherapy may also be ordered.

I'm no doctor, but since all my serum markers are so low, I feel pretty good about being somewhere in the 90% as opposed to the 10%. Dr. Sadurski seemed pleased with my levels. We had hoped to avoid this surgery, but postchemotherapy RPLND is indicated in any patient who has a residual tumor with normalization of serum markers after chemotherapy. That would be me.

In case you're reading all this and thinking I'm sounding a lot smarter, I wish I could take credit. Actually, I'm getting my information (big words and all) from an online publication written in part by Dr. Richard Foster, a urolocical oncologist and one of the experts at the Indiana University Medical Center. He will be the one doing my surgery. We don't have a date for the surgery yet, but it will probably be around the first or second week in February. We will travel to Indianapolis and be there for a week or a little longer.

Please pray for us, that all of the arrangements can be made quickly to make the trip less stressful. Pray that the travel will go smoothly. Pray for the family we will leave behind, that they will have peace and assurance. Pray for Dr. Foster, that God will guide his hand in surgery. Pray for no complications and a speedy recovery. Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for us. Your prayers mean so much.