Oncology Appointment

Today we finally had the appointment with the oncologist. When you know you have cancer but you don't know the specifics, waiting a week to get answers seems like forever. I was glad I was able to be with my parents during the visit and hear all the information.
The news isn't great. Barend was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in the lungs. In a nutshell this means there is no cure but there are a lot of things that we can do to increase the length and quality of life. Statistics are not a good reference point for these types of cancers and there is no good answer to 'how long is left'. The doctor mentioned a year or two but each individual is unique so, just like winning the lottery, the odds can be beaten here too.
Some of the immediate next steps include getting an MRI to determine if there is any risk of cancer in the brain and a PET scan to determine if there is any cancer in the bones. If there is any, radiation will be done on those spots.
We are also waiting on a few more test results which will indicate if there are any mutations on the gene. The only difference here is the decision on whether chemo should come through an IV method first or in a pill format.
For now the first Chemo appointment is scheduled for next Wednesday unless the test results indicate another protocol. From there he will go in every 3 weeks.
Barend is definitely ready to fight and considers his mission to be 'Operation Keep Opa Above Ground'. The good thing is that the chemo Barend will be doing is quite well tolerated so he should feel pretty good throughout it. As an added bonus he gets to keep his hair. Of course he has little left as it is so the loss may not have been that noticeable.
We're all learning that keeping our sense of humor is pretty important and Barend is not lacking in funny quips and jokes. Of course we wouldn't expect any different.