[Mtngrl]

The radiation oncologist called me in today, asked me some questions, had the nurse walk me around and test my O2 sat and heart rate, and said it's probably radiation pneumonitis as opposed to, say, actual pneumonia or, heaven forfend, the cancer roaring back. On that subject I said to her, "From a lay person's point of view, it seems highly unlikely we'd have a big-ass tumor there one month after 12 rounds of radiation." She smiled.

What's got me a little honked off is I was the one to contact my radiation oncologist. My medical oncologist didn't mention it, or didn't think of it, I don't think she coordinated with radiation oncology. Recall that this same medical onc who waited until I got pneumonia, and then had a recurrence, before she suggested local treatment. She also drilled me on whether I had "really" had pneumonia. I was treated for it at "HUP," the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I think they know what they're doing.

So I'm on Prednisone. The rad onc said people often feel much better in as little as 24 hours. I can hardly wait. I've been huffing and puffing, with my heart pounding, on the simplest little bit of exertion. I have also developed a wracking, nonproductive cough (on top of the coughing I do all the time because of GERD--acid reflux--of all things.) And I'm tired.

Yeah, Tracy, smooth sailing would have been nice. But I'll settle for staying alive and being able to do most of the things I want to do, for awhile longer, anyway.

Oh, and the PET/CT is this Friday afternoon. I'll get the results Monday.

Amy