PET Scan: Lymph Nodes didn’t even show any cancer at all — it’s gone. That’s excellent news, of course. That’s right: there is no trace of any cancer in the Lymph nodes. The tumour itself still has some activity, though. The doctor can’t be 100% sure it’s still cancerous due to residual radiation and scar tissue, though he’s pretty certain it still is cancerous because he has no reason to believe otherwise.
The CT (cat) scan was still difficult to interpret due to lingering radiation. Different people dissipate radiation at different rates. There is still some lung collapse (hence his continued difficulty in breathing). The tumour is not well-defined, and the shadow is less solid. It is still possible that live cells could escape and go elsewhere, so we must be vigilant and he must be tested regularly.
Despite all of this, Dad has shown significant improvement and he is out of any immediate danger. However new spots of cancer are always bad because that means it’s spreading, and we have to hope and pray that is never the case. We will retest in three months — first week of November — and see what’s happened then.
There will be no surgery, period. The doctor is confident no reputable doctor will perform any operation on Dad. With his lung partially collapsed, and the surgical risks he has due to his other conditions, the risks far outweigh any possible minor benefit and Dad’s chance of surviving the operation is very low.
His continued coughing is caused by radiation damage. It will eventually lessen and may even disappear, but it may just be a permanent, chronic cough. His tiredness is a combination of age and effects from his diminished lung capacity. There will be absolutely no radiation injections or even further radiation treatments at this time.
So, all in all, this was a very good day at the doctor. This was also significant for me, because this is the first time, I’ve actually met the attending physician and talked to him in person. Dad’s done his best to keep me out of the loop and given me his “sanitized” report so I don’t worry — apparently, he thinks that will stop the worry process. Not likely. So while I’ve been to the doctor’s office with him before (see previous posts), it’s been with the many other doctors involved in the process and not The Doctor.
It was a draining day, but generally a good day for Dad.
PS: No new news on Scooter. Several severe issues remain and spoke to the vet, and she said to give it another week and bring Scooter in next week. If there is any noticeable change, of course, she said to rush her over. Scooter is not getting worse but she’s not getting better either. I think a big problem is she isn’t drinking enough.