Met with my new neuro oncologist this morning. My new awesome doctor is named Dr. Valliant. Not Dr. Trieshisbest, or Dr. Sadloser. No, the doctor helping lead the charge is Dr. Valliant! Good start.
Brave Dr. Valliant gave me lots of new information, and helped lay out a battle plan to save the kingdom.
He confirmed the grade and name, and let me know that this has likely been growing 5-10 years. It's not a specific place per se, more like ribbons of "infiltrative lesion." Not sure why it made me think of this - but immediately I thought of my brain as a finely marbled steak, versus a fatty brisket. With the fine marbling being tumor, but still. Maybe this is a sign that my appetite might eventually come back. Or that the tumor is worse than I thought, as I am thinking of my brain as kobe beef.
Looks like I am in for about six weeks of radiation, followed possibly by a small bit of chemo. Though chemo probably is either all or none. Doubt there is a "small bit" of it. After that, monitoring with my Dr. Valliant for, well, ever. Possibly the ribeye will cause problems later, but it sounds like later is possibly another 5 to 10 years. Then maybe it's lather, radiate, repeat. Or some new thing.
Anti-seizure medication will help stop any new blind dates with EMT's. I'll be able to drive and bike again in a few months. Still planning to do the bike portion of a 1/2 Iron Man in Waco in October with two colleagues from work. The only change is that I have requested someone play the "Chariots of Fire" theme when I finish my biking portion.
Sounds like my summer may suck a bit, but that I could be back to mostly normal (or my version of it), by fall.
And dammit, we are going back to Hofbrau this year. I really now am craving a steak.
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