Leslie and I are in Nashville. We came here from Florida to spend Christmas with Stephanie, and also to get a second opinion on radiation therapy from the doctors at Vanderbilt Medical Center’s esteemed cancer program.
We met with a medical oncologist. She reviewed all the reports from Cleveland Clinic and said Leslie did not need radiation therapy. Then we talked with a radiation oncologist who said she did need it. Both, however, thought it was appropriate to take Leslie’s case before Vanderbilt’s tumor board, an interdisciplinary group that looks at cancer cases from many perspectives and makes recommendations.
They met Wednesday, January 3, and unanimously recommended no radiation. That’s what we wanted to hear.
Now we can go home and do what’s called “surveillance.” That means regular follow-ups to make sure Leslie remains cancer-free. Every three months for the first two years, then every six months for the next three years. After five years, she is considered a cancer survivor. The first follow-ups are scheduled at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida, for the first week in March.
We have booked flights to Guadalajara for the coming week. Next post from Ajijic, México!
Leslie is done with chemotherapy and her oncologist says she is “in remission.” That’s great news and we’re thrilled, but she still must do regular follow-ups with her surgeon and her oncologist at Cleveland Clinic in Florida for at least five years.
It’s exciting, but it seems there’s always a hitch. Leslie was scheduled for six doses of chemotherapy. At the end of the fourth dose, her oncologist suspended further treatment because her white blood cell count was too low, and was not recovering as quickly as expected. She will have more tests done soon to figure how why.
So she completed just four of the six doses. What does that mean? The doctor wasn’t very forthcoming on that question, simply noting that studies were done on the efficacy of three doses versus six, and six was found to be better. They needed studies to figure that out?
Anyway, now we can go to Nashville to enjoy Christmas with our daughter Stephanie and other family. But there’s still the question of whether or not to undergo radiation therapy as recommended by the Cleveland Clinic medical oncologist. While we’re in Nashville, Leslie will get a second opinion from oncologists at Vanderbilt Medical Center. If she decides to have the radiation it will be done at Vanderbilt and we will stay with Stephanie. If Leslie decides not to do the radiation we will head home to Ajijic as soon as we can book flights, probably the first week in January.
So our time in Florida is coming to a close and we’re hopeful that we’ll be back home soon. Florida is not our favorite place — weather (too humid), politics and insane drivers! It seems quite normal to weave in and out of traffic at high speeds on the freeways, sometimes with only inches to spare! And on city streets, the yellow light just means speed up — and if the light turns red, keep going or you might get rear-ended.
And we have lots of iguanas, but they’re harmless and fun to watch. This big guy hangs out in our yard sometimes, but I’ve also seen him at nearby houses.
On the plus side, we’ve been attending Christ Church United Methodist, just a five-minute drive from our temporary home. It’s a progressive church and we’ve enjoyed the services and meeting new friends. They’ve even asked us to light the Advent candle next Sunday. We also attended two concerts by the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, and may be able to do a third in early March because we’ll be here for the first of many follow-ups. Finally, there are lots of outstanding restaurants in greater Fort Lauderdale!
This is a few minutes prior to the South Florida Symphony’s performance of Handel’s Messiah — the Christmas portion plus the Hallelujah Chorus. The audience was invited to sing along, and I did since I remember most of the bass part. The venue is The Parker, a beautiful concert hall that is part of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
More information will be coming when decisions are made. Leslie and I hope everybody has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!Sometimes the iguanas get on the roof!
Ex-pats in Mexico 