Vanderbilt Visit

I saw Dr. Jill Gilbert at Vanderbilt yesterday, she is one of the few doctors nearby with experience in Merkle Cell. She assured me I don't have Merkle Cell but that my cancer is in the same group of cancers. Fortunately there are also much less aggressive cancers in this same group. The confusion the doctors are having is that my pathology appears to be an aggressive fast moving cancer, while my physical exams and symptoms appear to be a much more manageable slow growing cancer such as carcinoid tumors. Dr. Gilbert's suggestion is to get another CT scan to show what has progressed. If nothing has changed or grown in the six weeks she would feel comfortable with me having targeted liver therapy such as mechanically strangling the tumors. If the cancer has progressed however, she strongly suggests I.V. chemotherapy. Although that is what I hope to avoid she assured me it is not as bad as I am anticipating. Dr. Gilbert feels I could do four rounds of chemo with a long remission afterwards.
She also stated that I should not assume the six centimeter cyst on my ovary is only a cyst without biopsy proof. Also she wants my sciatic nerve pain looked into. Of course I have a million more questions for my oncologist now, but at least I am learning and moving forward with a plan of attack. Again, thanks to everyone for your prayers, they truly change everything.