Words I Don't Understand

7/30/07
I was told by a person wise in the know that I needed to take a notebook and write everything down that is said between the doctor and my wife. She may understand the things the doctor is saying but it will all be a buzz to the uninitiated. My wife is a nurse. I am glad I took the notebook. Here is a sample of the words:

biopsy, stage 4, lumpectomy, nodes, lymph system, metastasis, chemo, estogen driven, 8mm needle biopsy, systemic therapy, cyto-toxic, alkaloids, taxains, MUGGA, Zymeda, epidemiology, phytochemicals, methotrexate, mscontin, arimidex anastrozole, tamoxifen citrate, nonsteroidal antiestrogenic, her2 overexpression, anthracycline antibiotics, cytoxan

We started with a review of the MRI and x-ray. The primary tumor had spread (metastisized) into the lymph system and into the bone. There was a spot on the liver that was small and did not concern him, same for the lung. The doctor wants to start the chemo immediately following the next tests. Over 50% of the breast cancers are estrogen driven which is good because they can give chemos to dry up every bit of estrogen in the body. They couple that with a poison that kills all fast replicating cells and then hit it with a dose that goes after the RNA and destroys it. The doctor says that Stage IV is terrible but most women (90%) go into remission.

As a note, 1/7 of the women in the US get cancer. A cancer is a unique organism. Your cells in your liver know they are not like the cells in your stomach and not like the cells in your skin. Also cells have a life cycle. They are born, live, reproduce and die much like Lutherans. Cancer cells don't know they are different from the surrounding cells and so they invade by growing on to the surrounding area. They also get into lymph and blood systems and travel. They also do not understand the life cycles. They are born, live and reproduce and reproduce and reproduce much like Catholics and Mormons and very poor heathens (I was all three so I get a pass).

The tests will determine if my wife's heart can take the stress and pump efficiently and whether the cancer is estrogen driven. They will give medication for pain, nausea, chemotherapy and to build up the white cell count.

If she can't take the strain then it is terrible. If the cancer is not estrogen driven thn taht is terrible but treatable. I can't atke any more bad news.