It's like I said when describing the diagnosis with her parents. It's a mixed bag, really. It could have been worse...meaning it could have spread and been Stage IV which is so bad that Stage IVB is considered incurable. They can still fight Stage IVA, but it seems that it's more of too little, too late in the realm of things. So, Marion is at Stage III B. I knew from discussions with her oncologist that it was advanced and that the outlook for diagnosis was not all that appealing. But, what does Stage III B mean exactly?
Well, clinically speaking the extension of tumor is to the pelvic wall and/or hydronephrosis or nonfunctioning kidney. While the oncologist is a bit concerned with the Marion's kidney flow (he classified it as "minimal"), it is not at the point of hydronephoris (which causes atrophy of the kidney) or nonfunctioning. It was staged at III B due to the tumor extending to the wall of the pelvis.
The picture above kind of shows what's going on with Marion. While not completely accurate (as the tumor has not blocked the urethra), it's a pretty good representation of what exactly is going on.
The treatment plan will seemingly be chemotherapy (Cisplatin based if she responds well to it) and concurrent chemotherapy. The survival rate goes up with concurrent treatment such as this. I've read the 5 year survival rates, and I know she has a huge battle to undertake. I know she has a 25-35% chance to be alive in 5 years. But, I don't look at it like this is a death sentence. From the very 1st thought I've had when I was thinking that this was cancer, I never looked at it as a battle that couldn't be won. I have always looked at this as something that Marion can beat, and I still feel that way even after being told it was Stage IIIB.
More importantly, Marion feels this way too. She looks at this as a challenge she can win. And, while I am trying to be optimistic about all this, there are doubts that linger. There is an overwhelming sadness that consumes me every once in a while like a whisper in the wind. The best defense against a battle with cancer is seemingly the mind, and a strong one at that. While Marion is far from a quantum physicist, she is a determined and strong willed person. I believe that this is something we can battle together. There is a reason we're together. It's to face things like this and make sure we're well. She's my home, and the reason I've ever tried to do anything in my adult life. I will be there for her, and attempt with all my might and will to be her rock. I know this journey that has been placed in front of us is neither fair nor within the scope of our plans or whatever.
But, this is what life has become. I might not like it, and I think it really sucks, but this is the road in front of us...a perilous road filled with sickness, pain, yet eventually recovery and health.
