| I know from talking to my friends and the hit counter of my website that there are a quite a number of people following my cancer diary. It's time to keep you updated. I haven't posted anything during the last months because there wasn't any news. I went to Germany to have my check ups done here. The last few days I had blood tests, Ultra sounds and CT scans done on me. I still don't have much news though. This morning I went to the hospital to get some tests done on my heart. I wanted to use the opportunity of being in the vicinity to get some results from the cancer guys. The professor who is treating me here saw me in the crowd and came over. With a very serious and authoritarian demeanor he told me that he needs to talk to me. They saw something on the CT scan. My heart slipped into my trousers like well-oiled water balloon in a garbage chute. I had to run to my appointment at the heart center and he told me that he will talk to me later. For three hours I sat at the heart clinic almost sick with fear. At the heart center they found some funny stuff during the ECG and told me that I'll have to get a catheter done to check it further. And why don't you just burn my house as well while you are at it?
So I am waiting for an appointment for that catheter thing. The good news is that I don't have any symptoms of heart disease and I should be fine.
With rubbery legs I made it to the cancer center and the professor saw me shortly after. First he said that there is a residual tumor and because of the kind of tumor that it is he might have to operate and or put me on chemo again. Then he actually checked the report. It didn't indicate the size of my tumor only that it is half the size of what it used to be. In cases like mine the size of the residual tumor is very important. I can't understand why the CT scan doc didn't include it in his report. My professor called the CT scan guy and got the size. It is 1.3 cm. That put the whole thing into a different perspective. If it would have been below one cm I would have been considered cured but 1.3 cm isn't that bad either. Then the professor noted my initial tumor marker results and those apparently told him something else, which made him change his mind about that operating thing. We are now on wait and see. On Friday I will get the results form the tumor marker tests.
If they are bad I'll get operated if they are fine I'll be on wait and see. Generally, I think I am fine but I am not totally off the hook. Tumor marker tests only take about a week here. In Manila you get your results in two hours. The CT scan guy doesn't convince me at all. He didn't even see a large lipom around my kidney until I pointed it out to him. And then he didn't include the size of the tumor. That level of professionalism I could have easily had in Manila as well.
And now it started snowing. Never mind the operation and possible chemo, the weather alone makes you wanna give up.
Just kidd'n. I am in quite good spirits and optimistic. Thanks mostly to that great Bavarian beer.
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