Amid all the fun headlines happening out there, we thought we should update you good folks with what we do know.
Dan's tumor and clot are pretty much unresponsive to the chemotherapy medication Sunitinib. The doctors can see no shrinkage. The veins where the tumor is most prevalent are considered completely occluded - which means blocked. Periphery veins are taking over the job of supplying blood where it needs to go.
Which is why he's still walking and breathing, but also why he's suffering very painful leg spasms almost every morning, and why his potassium levels are too high.
Surgery is expected to take early November. This surgery will be done by a vascular surgeon at RCH, and will be nearly as major as his first. The point of this surgery will be "debulking." The doctor will go in and attempt to remove what he can of the tumor and clot. But since it is obvious he will not be getting 100% of the tumor, it's considered "debulking" since he'll attempt to get what he easily, and safely, can cut out.
Depending on the tumor, depending on the veins, this could mean a little, or it could mean a lot.
We won't know until the surgery.
Dan will be out for roughly three months following surgery, and Maggie has applied for some help from the provincial government and extended leave from her office so she can be home to help him while he recuperates. After surgery, Dan will be back on chemo meds, and hopefully with the debulking, we might see a better response to the medicine. Again: we won't know for sure until scans following the surgery.
In the mean time ... thanks for being there for us.
And fuck you, cancer.
Dan's tumor and clot are pretty much unresponsive to the chemotherapy medication Sunitinib. The doctors can see no shrinkage. The veins where the tumor is most prevalent are considered completely occluded - which means blocked. Periphery veins are taking over the job of supplying blood where it needs to go.
Which is why he's still walking and breathing, but also why he's suffering very painful leg spasms almost every morning, and why his potassium levels are too high.
Surgery is expected to take early November. This surgery will be done by a vascular surgeon at RCH, and will be nearly as major as his first. The point of this surgery will be "debulking." The doctor will go in and attempt to remove what he can of the tumor and clot. But since it is obvious he will not be getting 100% of the tumor, it's considered "debulking" since he'll attempt to get what he easily, and safely, can cut out.
Depending on the tumor, depending on the veins, this could mean a little, or it could mean a lot.
We won't know until the surgery.
Dan will be out for roughly three months following surgery, and Maggie has applied for some help from the provincial government and extended leave from her office so she can be home to help him while he recuperates. After surgery, Dan will be back on chemo meds, and hopefully with the debulking, we might see a better response to the medicine. Again: we won't know for sure until scans following the surgery.
In the mean time ... thanks for being there for us.
And fuck you, cancer.
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