Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
We have some good news and some bad news re Nancy's cancer treatment:
Ocala Oncology & Dr Cartwright, who were highly recommended to us, did nothing for the past three weeks and ignored our requests to get started on the preliminary tests that our research indicated were standard in this type of cancer. After consultation with the Moffitt Cancer Research Center (University of South Florida, Tampa) and our GP, both of whom were shocked at the delay in treatment, we decided to fire the local outfit and go straight to the Moffitt for treatment. The staff at Moffitt demonstrated to us their deep concern for the patient and their credentials and facility are outstanding. It's a two hour drive to Tampa but we think it is going to be worth it.
The Good: We spent much of Friday at the Moffitt Cancer Center and finally have a program of treatment! Those good folks understand the urgency of the situation and got right to it! She will get two chemo drugs (Taxotere & Carboplatin) plus an antibody called Herceptin that is specific to the type of cancer she has. It's a recent drug, about two years old, that is keyed to the marker gene her cancer carries and attacks it directly. It has a nearly 99% success rate, which is double any previous treatment for this type. She will get 6 treatments, 1 treatment every 3 weeks for 18 weeks. Will start next Friday if we can get all the preliminaries done in time. She got a couple tests done last Friday and we go back to Moffitt on Monday and again on Thursday to do further prep work and if all the prelims go ok she can start the chemo on Friday. Friends in Tampa (the salesman we bought our coach from) have offered us the use of their house when we need to stay over night for treatments.
The Bad: In the three weeks while the local oncologist kept us waiting for an appointment, a second tumor developed in the breast and the surface "rash" that indicates cancer in the lymph glands more than doubled in size. If only we had fired him sooner and gone straight to the Moffitt, Nancy would already be getting chemo and it would not have spread as far. The local doc, Dr Cartwright, is supposed to be a hot shot in central Florida cancer circles, but as far as I'm concerned he is lousy quack.
Ocala Oncology & Dr Cartwright, who were highly recommended to us, did nothing for the past three weeks and ignored our requests to get started on the preliminary tests that our research indicated were standard in this type of cancer. After consultation with the Moffitt Cancer Research Center (University of South Florida, Tampa) and our GP, both of whom were shocked at the delay in treatment, we decided to fire the local outfit and go straight to the Moffitt for treatment. The staff at Moffitt demonstrated to us their deep concern for the patient and their credentials and facility are outstanding. It's a two hour drive to Tampa but we think it is going to be worth it.
The Good: We spent much of Friday at the Moffitt Cancer Center and finally have a program of treatment! Those good folks understand the urgency of the situation and got right to it! She will get two chemo drugs (Taxotere & Carboplatin) plus an antibody called Herceptin that is specific to the type of cancer she has. It's a recent drug, about two years old, that is keyed to the marker gene her cancer carries and attacks it directly. It has a nearly 99% success rate, which is double any previous treatment for this type. She will get 6 treatments, 1 treatment every 3 weeks for 18 weeks. Will start next Friday if we can get all the preliminaries done in time. She got a couple tests done last Friday and we go back to Moffitt on Monday and again on Thursday to do further prep work and if all the prelims go ok she can start the chemo on Friday. Friends in Tampa (the salesman we bought our coach from) have offered us the use of their house when we need to stay over night for treatments.
The Bad: In the three weeks while the local oncologist kept us waiting for an appointment, a second tumor developed in the breast and the surface "rash" that indicates cancer in the lymph glands more than doubled in size. If only we had fired him sooner and gone straight to the Moffitt, Nancy would already be getting chemo and it would not have spread as far. The local doc, Dr Cartwright, is supposed to be a hot shot in central Florida cancer circles, but as far as I'm concerned he is lousy quack.