Before I get into this, please make sure you’ve read the previous post. It’s called ‘Scan Results 26th April 2023’ and you can find it here: https://thecancerraven.com.au/2023/05/10/scan-results-26th-april-2023/

If you have read it then, well, first I would like to say thank you. I know it was a mixed bag and it took me a little while to come to terms with it.

Then I came to terms with it and started to work out how I was going to proceed. I had a phone appointment organised with my haematologist at the hospital so we could talk about how I wished to move forwards with treatments etc.

Then everything changed again.

I would of told you this sooner but I had to digest the news first and get what I was told in writing. So that I knew I was hearing and remembering correctly what I was told on the phone.

Don’t get too excited though. I still have cancer, but the results have changed in regards to what is going on with it, as originally told in the above post.

Ok, let me try and put this in some logical order for you.

I first published my results to the world at large on May 10th this year. As you will know having read that post.

As you will also know, some of the results were good and some bad. Re-read that post if you want to remind yourself.

I would like to focus on one particular aspect of those results. That is the part where I was told it had grown in the stomach and bowel lining. As I said in that post it was demoralising as I’d hoped to stop the cancer in its tracks.

In regards to this what was I going to do? My current treatment regime had obviously done a good job in keeping the cancer under control as there was no spread to new parts of the body and the majority of the lymph nodes had come down. But it was still growing in the bowel and stomach lining. Bugger!!

Something had to be done to stop this growth. Probably something new would have to be tried. After talking to myself, family, close friends and the clever people I am working with I decided to do the soft chemo that was on offer. In the hope I could get it out of my stomach and bowel. I never really wanted to do chemo of any sort but I’m also pragmatic. I came to terms with doing it.

A phone appointment was arranged with my haematologist to discuss the nature of the chemo, pros and cons, and when I could start.

Here comes the fun part.

On Wednesday 24th May I received the phone call at 9.30am.

Before we even started the chemo conversation I was told something new. My haematologist told me that there was a second opinion on my recent results.

“Here we go.” I thought to myself. “What’s happened?”

“We’ve had a second opinion on your results.” She said. “The results have been reviewed by the whole haematology, radiology and imaging teams. This opinion states that the cancer HASN’T grown in the stomach and bowel. It’s exactly the same as the first scan back in October 2022.”

Words to that effect anyway.

Most importantly it hasn’t grown. It’s been stopped in its tracks. Game changer. Good news. Thank you very much.

I will add, all the other results from the recent scan are the same. But this makes a huge difference. It hasn’t grown in the main area where it’s residing! Result!!

I’ve now got written confirmation of that phone call. So I’m telling you the good news. It also says on that report that the cancer is considered stable compared to the first scan back in October.

So what now?

It took a little while to sink in, then back to the decision making process. What treatments do I continue on with? Should I do the chemo? Is everything I’m doing working?

I feel like a boxer going the distance in a heavy weight contest. All the rounds are going to be fought hard. The psychological blows that knock you down have to be overcome. Likewise the blows of euphoria that I land have to be capitalised on. It goes on.

To start with I’m going to keep on with the same treatment plan. I always said if I stopped the cancer in its tracks then something I’m doing is working. MCL cancer is aggressive, it doesn’t just stop of its own accord. There has to be some form of intervention.

Obviously the cancer needs to be pushed back. If I want to go into remission, or be cancer free completely, then I need to start reducing the cancer.

However, after much consideration I’ve decided not to do the soft chemo at this stage. I’ve, also, always said that if I get the results I want then I’ll keep the chemo route on pause. That’s what I’m doing. Keeping my options open because you never know what may happen. This is the result I wanted so chemo is on hold for now.

Still, I need to do more though than what I’m doing. Everything feels like it’s on a knife edge and could go either way. Therefore I’ve spoken to the clever people and we’ve come up with a plan. Treatment plan’s being tweaked, new studies have come to light which give me extra options that I’ve started trying. It’s amazing what new discoveries are being made in very dedicated cancer centres, laboratories and universities around the world. Some are mainstream western, others are what people may call alternative. Both are worthy of investigation. This way I can push back at the cancer. There’s no quick fix, but I’m moving forwards. I’m still alive nearly nine months on from my diagnosis, let alone how long since I first developed this cancer.

I know a lot of people want to know everything I’m doing. What is my treatment plan? However, I’m not going to go into it in this post. That is a whole post unto itself, and I have to be careful with what I tell everyone. I don’t want to give false hope to others. What works, or doesn’t, for me may or may not work for different people. Cancer is complicated and all cancers and all people are different. I will at some point start going through what I do, but not all the fine details. I wouldn’t want someone to follow blindly what I write only for it to not work for them. That would be terrible.

Look at what I write, see what inspires or interests you, then do your own research. Get proper medical advice, get the complete low down on the cancer involved. Talk to lots of different clever people who know what they are doing. Make informed decisions.

I mention clever people a lot. I do that because I don’t want to give names away because people value their privacy. Not only that, some people are region specific, although others operate worldwide. I put links on the Info Links page to websites that offer help. That list will keep increasing as I go on with this.

I will mention the types of people I work with though: