Hillywood dinner
My co-workers do not cease to amaze me. Klaartje is leaving the company and her go-away party was transferred to Hilversum. We had dinner at a preferred location for the rich and famous. Lord knows why as I find the measure of class hard to signal. However, it is a nice location surrounded by a lot of tall green trees and it is always fun to spot radio DJ's and such-likes. De Jonge Haan, only serves pre-fabricated food, as I found out trying to order a meal without salt. Salt is a no-no as it will absorb the Iodine not leaving enough space for my cancer cells to absorb the radioactive treatment which I am to receive tomorrow. That is if the nuclear radiologist gets affirmation to go through with the treatment when he talks to the orthopedic professor (Prof. Wuisman, a new addition to my dreamteam). I am sure it will be no problem, so I am still aiming at quarantine for tomorrow. I have received the folders about my isolation cell which is really troubling when you read it and reallize that these rules apply to yourself. Actually bringing along my brand new Ipod might present me with a problem. I am determined to smuggle it in and I will let the radiation deteriorate afterwards in my attic in a plastic bag. I will tell you about what it is like in the cell after I have been there, but I assure you they have extremely strict rules. I will have a phone which covers all costs in the Netherlands. The number will be available with my parents at my home number. I can not receive any visitors until after the hospitalization. Once I am home, grown-ups can visit for short periods at a time, however, please call in advance to see if I am up to it. Children and pregnant women must steer clear of me.
Monday and tuesday I went to the hospital for scans. They once again injected me with radioactive material and made scans of my neck to be able to check the Iodine up-take. The result was that they will be able to give me the maximum dose, which is a good thing. The radiologist kept repeating that this is a treatment designed for small tumors. I, on the other hand, do have large tumors in the bone. He insists that the Iodine will go everywhere, but expects to have to repeat the treatment in six months time to get to all the cells, not excluding the posibility that I may have to go in more than 2 times before all the cancer is gone. I asked him what happens if the treatment does not work. He assured me that it should work and that I should not be concerned with it not working as the odds are small that it won't. (The odds were small that I had Thyroid cancer too...but never mind.He carefully insinuated that the odds are 95 vs 5. I guesse that is what the prognosis for chances of survival is based on. So, in other words...if this does not work, chemo is probably still an option but generally speaking....it does not give me much of a chance anyway. I have noticed how they express this...they tell me I don't want to go there in my thoughts. They don't actually tell you that the chances are huge that you will actually die then. Funny...I don't know why not...because they are still telling me the same thing in an indirect manner. Maybe it is to help them out, which would be acceptable to me.
Well, I am the type of person that likes to think ahead. I believe that is a healthy attitude. I even asked him how advanced other countries are in the World as far as these techniques are concerned. He told me most western countries should be able to perform the same treatment, but if I am to move abroad I should find out first if their diagnositics are up to knotch. I still have a dream to move abroad for a few years when Kiara finishes her primary school. India, my target land ,seems to be well equiped with 12 cancer institutes that I can find online.
A shiny perspective of the future does make you feel alot better, as it is not a secret that I will have many restrictions from now on. A life sentence for a traveller of the World is not to be able to move freely around the World.
So all in all...I'm feeling confident that I am one of the 95%!
After all...I am the patient that is still making plans for the future! That has to be worth something.
1 comment:
Hoi Aisha, jammer dat we elkaar maandag tijdens het diner niet echt gesproken hebben. Maar ik was wel nogal onder de indruk van je sterke en moedige uitstraling. Groet, Joeri
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