My Secondary Diagnosis

On May 3, I had a Doctors appointment and learned I have leptomengial disease, which means my cancer has spread to my brain.  I had a heads up on May 1 because I had a MRI and Dr. Matei  called me a couple hours following my procedure.  When I did finally see her she told me that to diagnosis this kind of cancer was hard to do and that the prognosis is very poor.  2-4 months with out treatment and with treatment possibly up to a year.

Sadly, the most devastating thing she said was that I was retiring that day,  I had clients scheduled and would have to cancel them.  How do you cancel a whole caseload without warning?  I'm s,orry so and so  I wont be seeing you today or ever again.  Although what came next was also upsetting she sent me to Penrose hospital for a spinal tap collection of fluid and intrathecal spinal tap chemortherapy which has now turned to 7 procedures.

I am now receiving the intrathecal chemotherapy directly into my brain through my Ommaya at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center.  I had surgery on May 30 to place the Ommaya port in my head.

Susan