My husband started out with a group of local doctors in the Cancer Institute in our area. Oncologist, Radiologist and a Surgeon that specializes in Colon/Rectal Cancer. In the beginning the surgeon felt that with Chemo and/or Radiation to shrink the tumor he could do the resection but where it was located there was a good chance he could end up with a colostomy for life. DH thought that sounded better than Cancer. After the first PET Scan showed the cancer had spread that was when Oncologist 1 said he was treatable not curable and my husband went for a second opinion.
Oncologist 2 (who was not associated with our local group of doctors) seemed optimistic that Chemo would shrink the tumors enough for surgery. After 12 rounds it worked on some of the small ones but the main tumor has doubled in size and the others are coming back. Now his thoughts are the same as Oncologist 1 - Treatable, not curable.
Oncologist 2 had a meeting with our Radiologist and the Surgeon that was originally going to do the resection and DH was under the impression that his new treatment (radiation/Xeloda) was still going to end with surgery,
Yesterday after treatment he saw the Radiologist and was told that instead of 30 sessions they were only doing 14. He said this was only to make him more comfortable. There won't be any surgery. The surgeons office never called back after the meeting to set up an apt.
I understand my husband is ill and this is not going to go away, but what I don't understand is, why is it that 3 professional Cancer Specialist can't come up with a way to look you in the eyes and tell you what is really going on instead of looking at the floor and talking in circles.
DH will probably have me call somewhere for a third opinion. And if he ask me to I will. Not because I think his doctors are wrong but because he wants to find someone that will give him the answer he wants to hear. And Because I am a wife of a husband with Stage IV Freaking Cancer.