Treatment game plan

Hi everyone!

My dad and I went down to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) building today (just off the Science Center/Mercer St. exit in Seattle) and found out what the plan is going to be for me.

We first did some financial stuff, trying to get disability through DSHS so these many huge bills can be paid. Then it was up to the 4th floor to talk with Dr. Tykodi. Having worked with Dr. Chen at the Everett Clinic, and Dr. Lin at UW Medical center, I was expecting Dr. Tykodi to be asian too. Nope. Totally white.

Dr. Tykodi went over some questions with me about my family history and my symptom history. Then he told me the game plan for what's going to happen with my Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) (Kidney Cancer). Basically, at this point, I'm inoperable. If they went in, they'd be met by a lot of unknowns because of that tumor that is wrapping itself around my aorta. So, what they'll do instead of the RCC usual, (just surgery to take out the cancerous kidney) is give me "shrinking" drugs, for lack of a better term.

Friday I go in for an MRI and a Bone scan. These will help determine that no cancerous cells have grown in my bones or brain. Pretty sure these will come out negative, let's pray they do.
Then, next Wednesday I go to SCCA and will sort of receive a class with the two nurses about my medicines and treatments. That'll probably be boring and tiring, but I guess necessary so I know side affects and symptoms and what to do should they arise.
Wednesday I'll also have blood drawn so they can do some tests and then I'll head to the 5th floor for infusion services. This is the fun part. :P Every Wednesday for the next two months I will receive an IV of Bevacizumab. This drug targets cancerous cells and gives them death! Ha, take that.
Aside from the Bevacizumab, I'll also be on another drug called Interferon. This I will get to do where ever. It's a shot that I will take 3 times a week. (Remember, I hate needles so... this'll be fun.) Interferon is a "man-made form of a substance that [my] body naturally produces to fight infection and tumors."
Hopefully with these two drugs, my tumors will shrink and get to a point where it is operable. They want to go in knowing they can cut away all cancerous cells and not leave any behind.

At the beginning of the new year, after taking these medicines and good CTs, I will most likely go in for surgery to remove my kidney and tumors. Recovery from this is 4-8 weeks. Looks like my 26 birthday is going to be lots of fun...

Hopefully the surgery will get everything out successfully and I can be well on my way to being healthy once more. I was really nervous Monday and parts of Tuesday but once I know facts, I just kind of take things as they are. The side effects of the drugs may not be that fun (Decreased blood count, flu symptoms, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, nosebleeds, high blood pressure) but it really isn't too different from what I've been experiencing for months.

So, there you have it. If you feel like having a more specific prayer, pray that my tumors will shrink enough to be operable. If they don't, I really don't know what we'll do. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. :)

-Mallory