I met my surgeon, Dr. Timothy Geiger, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center last Thursday (September 19). Technically, he is not an oncologist. However, his practice is in Vanderbilt's Ingram Cancer Center and, since he limits his practice to colon and rectal surgery, much of his work is with cancer. Mom and Dan went along to provide support and help take in all the information. I like Dr. Geiger a lot and feel very comfortable with him guiding my treatment. Mom and Dan feel the same.
The visit provided some new details and his recommended course of action over the next few months. The rectal cancer is near the mid-point of the rectum; thankfully, not the worst location. The colon cancer is at the opposite end of the colon. Dr. Geiger did not provide an indication of the size of the growths or their severity. I didn’t ask. Frankly, I didn’t think to ask and I don’t think it matters at this point.
His recommended course of action has to be presented to a panel of other doctors, which he expects to occur on Tuesday. The recommendation is six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. Most folks can tolerate the type of chemo used in this situation and I should be able to work while undergoing it. Then there would be a break of up to six weeks with no treatments. During the break, the radiation and chemo I previously received will continue to work. After that, surgery will be performed to remove the two growths and the necessary portions of adjacent colon. The hospital stay is usually four to six days followed by three weeks of recuperation at home. It will be necessary to have a temporary ileostomy while the colon heals. That will be reversed.
The visit with Dr. Geiger didn’t provide any great surprises. I’ve already thought the worst regarding chemo and surgery, so some of his comments were a relief. More than anything, it is good to have a map that shows the road ahead and someone I trust in the driver’s seat.
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