The GOAT + Dr. Tafur + PET Scan Results + Fluids

 In these weeks of waiting and healing and baby stepping my way back into the real world of life, I had an amazing experience.  My favorite oncologist of all time, the GOAT, as far as I'm concerned, had me on her mind.  This amazing human, Dr. Fleener, from my cancer past, reached out to me to give me some of her thoughts.  We spoke on the phone for nearly an hour, something that helped me greatly in my recovery.

Dr. Fleener gave me so much joy on being able to share my experiences with whole brain radiation and give this other patient (one with a very similar diagnosis to mine) the courage to move forward.  She is now doing well, where before talking with me, she was so unsure and wanting to avoid it.  One of my main goals in this journey is to continue to live for information for future patients like me.  

This HER2+ is still fairly new.  In 2006-2007 days, this diagnosis was a death sentence because there were no treatment options.  If you pay attention to adds promoting drugs that extend the lives of metastatic breast cancer patients these days, all of them say "for HER2- patients."  It's important to me to be a patient that lives and leaves information for the future care of patients like me.  

This news about helping another patient now was a great blessing to me. It gave me so much joy that I teared up.  

Dr. Fleener asked questions and gave me her thoughts:

I should have an updated biopsy on my tumors to check for new genetic mutations which might open up possible new treatments.  I could also go back to a former treatment that I never finished because I hated it, but lower the dosage and add Herceptin again.  

The call was uplifting, strengthening, and secured her always and even more as The GOAT oncologist.  

Today was a follow-up with Dr. Tafur.  

The last time we met, I was stunned with his demeanor.  When I asked about the brain treatments and what was taking so long, he seemed to be a bit off-put and stoically mentioned that my brain was Dr. Sun's department, and he didn't have territory of that.  It cancerned me a bit.  

Today was different.  He came in as his old self and pulled his chair up close to me to discuss the PET scan results.  There are two new tumors in my liver and some spots that lit up on the scan, but he didn't spend a lot of time talking about those.  

He had already scheduled a new biopsy to be done in Lubbock on Monday, and was looking forward to discovering any new genetic mutations or other ways that we could treat my disease.  

I specifically asked about what was going on with his demeanor in the last appointment.  He just explained that he was not going to step on Dr. Sun's toes.  

He also mentioned that he is still my overall oncologist and was in charge of helping me make the major decisions in that area.  He was NOT going to put me through shooting chemo into my spine or brain because IT DOES NOT WORK.  He's had former patients that have done it.  Why would he want to put any woman through that pain and agony when it does not work?  Plus, he knows that I don't have LMD (Leptomeningeal disease) because, "If you did, you wouldn't be here today talking to me like you are." 

It was such a positive appointment for me today.  Not only did I not have to ask about a fresh and updated biopsy, he'd already made the appointments!  He was right on track with my favorite oncologist of all time, and it felt like a God thing.  I'm so grateful for my team again and feel like things are falling into place for more positive momentum.   

My BP and heart rate had been quite a bit off today, so I did have an infusion of fluids, and I'm feeling so grateful for answers to prayers and so many positive plans on my behalf.  

I'm so ready to keep taking the baby steps to get to the next thing in this journey!