A New Member

As my treatment was winding down my Radiation Oncologist had two former patients get in touch with me.  Both were men in their 50's who had similar treatment but different cancers.  The point of the conversations were to get across how difficult recovery would be.  They both did a very good job.  Both were nearing their 5 year cancer free mark and everyday still struggling with the side-effects of their treatment.  I am happy to say that I fared a bit better than both.  This however is not the point so let me get on with it...

At the beginning of one conversation one of the men said "Welcome to the club it's one I wouldn't invite anyone I know to join."  Of course he was talking the cancer club.  At that point it wasn't even the survivor club as I hadn't finished treatment.  This however stuck with me more than most of the conversation.

Unfortunately the club has initiated the newest member Grandpa Chang.  As of September he will go through the hazing known as radiation.  Grandpa was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer at the end of last year.  At that time he and his doctor made the decision to do active observation.  This spring the game changed when his PSA numbers went up.  He did A LOT of research and decided to investigate whether or not he was a candidate for Proton Therapy (a form of radiation with notably less side effects).  Happily MD Andersen has taken his case and his insurance has agreed to pay for the treatment.  Beginning in September he will have 40 days of treatment and luckily no chemo.

Thru the grace of Our Favorite Brits my parents will be able to stay comfortably in Houston while he goes through treatment.  Baby Chang and I won't know what to do having them five minutes away for three months (the one positive of the whole situation).

So once again I ask that you keep my family in your thoughts and if it is something you believe in, your prayers.

Finding A New Way

So as I mentioned I've struggled trying to decide what to do with this blog.  Though I feel that my journey as a cancer survivor may still lead to posts I don't think it will make for regular writing (which is what I'd like to move to).

I could become a mommy blogger but I feel there are a lot of great writers out there already.  Plus I'm probably too overly cautious about what I want to write about Baby Chang.  To this day I still haven't put her picture on Facebook.

I've thought about fitness blogging but I've been trying to run a marathon for nearly two years, but life continually gets in the way.  To be a fitness blogger I think perhaps fitness should take a priority in your life.  Right now that's not possible.

I love to cook but I cook other people's recipes so I think that's out.

I'm no fashion maven.

I only recently started gardening.

I work in the world of classical music but I don't want to write about it.

Ending it entirely doesn't sit well with me either.

So in trying to define what Call Me Mr. Chang should now be about I've decided to think of it as a Soap Box Diary Blog.  From time to time I will leap up onto my soap box but for the most part it will be musings on my life.  It will probably encompass my latest attempt at running a 1/2 marathon, cooking, gardening, work, politics so limiting the focus seems futile.

Hopefully you'll join me on this ride.  Plus the garden story is not to be missed!

Quiet

All is well in the Chang household. I've needed some quiet time or even a time out to figure out where I'm at as far as this blog is concerned and even life for that matter. Of course I've made no big revelations or decisions so I'm just going to try to post more and see what happens. There are some big things coming up but more on that later.

Just to be on the safe side

Just to be on the safe side I will be having surgery on Wednesday.  Yep here we go again!  This one has nothing to do with my sinuses thankfully and probably has nothing to do with my Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Instead just for kicks I will be having a Laparoscopic Oophorectomy.  I realize it sounds a little like I'm having trouble with an annoying Oompa-Loompa but really I will be having my right ovary removed.

In October when I had a follow up PET Scan (just to be on the safe side) I was told the scan was completely clear.  It wasn't until going through my regular round of appointments with the Trio of Torture (ENT, Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist) two months later that an intern mentioned a spot on my ovary.  Yes you read that correctly an INTERN told me about it.  Two of the three doctors didn't even mention it and it wasn't until I asked to go over the scan with the third doctor that we finally spoke about this mysterious spot.

He was sure it was nothing but we would do an ultrasound "just to be on the safe side".  In fact he was so sure it was just an average cyst that he was convinced it wouldn't be there anymore.  Ovarian cysts are completely normal and often don't last through more than one menstrual cycle before bursting with no notice by the woman.  Guess what it was there and it was a little more than your average cyst.

So he sent those results to my OB/GYN.  She decided that since I was a cancer survivor we shouldn't take any chances and "just to be on the safe side" ordered a second ultrasound and some blood work.

The good news the blood work came back completely normal.  The marker they were looking for was not only normal but low so the chance that this is ovarian cancer is completely slim but not definitive.

The bad news the cyst has grown to the size of a small tangerine and has blood flow going to it.  Just to be on the safe side the best course of action would be to remove both the cyst and the ovary.

So Wednesday morning I will head to the hospital to have four small incisions cut in my abdomen and have an ovary removed.  They will run pathology tests immediately to determine for sure if there is any sign of cancer. Because the surgery will be done laparoscopically I will get to go home that night.  Recovery time will only be about two weeks but there will be very few limitations on what I can do.

So Just to be on the safe side could you send your good vibes, thoughts, prayers, juju whatever it is you believe in my way?