MRI Results

Bill got home from work just before 7, and after a little everyday chit chat, he asked about the MRI results.

So I told him, and he wasn't upset, as I had kind of thought he would be. (!?)

Here are the results:

The MRI confirmed that the three spots on his liver are, indeed, metastasized cancer, and are the following sizes: 10 mm, 14 mm, and 16.5 mm. I googled millimeters, and discovered that a dime is about 14 millimeters, and a penny is just over 17 millimeters, so those are the sizes.

The woman who called said, with sudden perkiness, that the good news is that there were no other spots on the liver.

Ummmmmm.....yyyyyyeah.....that's some really swell news right there..... (on some planet, somewhere in the universe, I guess)...only THREE spots of liver cancer. Oh, hooray for such great news.......(not).

However, they have also discovered something on his left kidney. She said it is some kind of "complex cyst" and that they will need to "follow that."

So I googled that and found out that there are two kinds of cysts on kidneys: simple and complex. Simple are never cancerous, but complex cysts can often be cancerous, so we really don't know about that yet.

Bill was relieved just to hear the word "cyst", of course.

I asked the woman on the phone, "About those liver spots, is anyone talking possibly just cysts?"

She said, "No, no one is talking cysts."

I said, "So you mean everyone is talking liver cancer?"

She said, "Yes, everyone is talking liver cancer."

So that was farther than she went with me last week on the phone. At least, we're not in limbo on that point any longer.

Nor are we any longer in Kansas, Dorothy.

Fortunately, we only have to wait till Friday afternoon to meet with the Liver Oncological surgeon to find out what the future holds for treatment.

As for the kidney, I am guessing that will require a Urologist, so maybe more trips back to Wake for that.

Anyway, as Bill viewed it, things could have been a LOT worse, from the MRI. He didn't have bone, lung, colon, lymph cancers or a bunch of other kinds he could have had. (I think he's been drinking out of the same glass as the Perky Lady on the Phone who was So Happy there were only THREE Liver Cancers.)

Good ole Cowboy Willie--lookin' at the bright side.

Not exactly what ol' Diamon' Lil was doing today, let me tell you.

Many thanks for checking in on him, and on us. You know I'll write here the minute we get home Friday night.

Love and thankfulness to each and every one of you. Feel free to ask us questions, if you have any. We are still extremely normal in our behavior, and there's nothing you should be afraid to say or ask.

El Diamond and El Caballero