First meeting with the Doc...

Hello All-

We met with the Oncologist at SCCA on Tuesday. Great guy... Gidget was comfortable with him right away. He said there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that she has cancer (we kinda already knew that). The good news is that it could be much worse.

She has stage 3 cancer, which he said is "doable." She had a world-class surgeon, who did a great job of removing not only the tumor, but all of the surrounding lymph nodes and related tissues. The oncologist also told us that the tumor was classified as a "class 1 tumor." This is different than the stage of the cancer -- the classification defines the aggressiveness of the actual tumor itself. Class 1 is much slower-spreading than class 2 or 3. So that's good. He also said that Gidget's young age (she loves to hear that!) will be a huge plus in beating this disease.

The doctor didn't want to overwhelm us with info the first time we met him, so he just gave us the basics... Gidget needs to eat a healthy diet including white meats (chicken, turkey, fish and a small amount of pork), whole grains, and "good" fats. We're supposed to stick to organic foods whenever possible. Central Market in Poulsbo has a great selection of organic foods, so that shouldn't be a problem. She also needs to exercise like a fiend... research shows that regular, vigorous exercise is almost as effective as chemotherapy in terms of preventing the re-occurrence of this particular type of cancer. So... we want to do both -- chemotherapy and tons of exercise -- to improve her chances of ridding her body of this thing forever.

Gidget has several appointments next week -- for a CAT scan (to establish a baseline), some chemo training (what to expect/side effects, etc.), an hour with the dietitian, and another minor surgery to install a port (for the chemo/blood draws, etc.). She will start chemo week after next -- on Friday, Jan. 22, and she will get chemo every two weeks for six months. We'll go to SCCA every other Friday morning for treatment. She will be hooked up for about 5 hours each time, and then they'll send her home with a pump for 46 hours of treatment with a different chemo drug (she'll be treated with three distinct drugs). We'll go back to SCCA each Sunday afternoon so they can disconnect the pump.

In general, Gidget is feeling much, much better. Her appetite has returned (probably 80% of her normal appetite). She still has some tough days, but in general she's doing great. She has been walking every day, and her energy level will continue to improve over the next couple weeks, so she should be able to increase her exercise regimen and eat more of a complete diet.

We'll try to keep everyone in the loop as Gidget starts her treatment. Thanks again, everyone, for all of the cards, e-mails, encouragement, prayers and warm thoughts!

Love, Jay, Gidget & Acey