indigoninja

Well in Chicago we have only had Proton for just 2 years and I was not offered the option. Knowing what i now know, and given tha tthe TOP hospitals joined together to open the center I would have gone for the Proton. I now have extensive tissue damage from all the Radiation I took and the path that it followed. if you are with experts at a good facility I don't see the down side other than its new. For me new is good.

Hi Indigoninja,

So sorry you are having to go through this experience. Your doctor should be deciding on PET or no PET, but I can tell you CAT & PET are often done at initial diagnoses. If you have never had a PET, it is much the same routine as a CAT, but you don't have to drink the disgusting Barocat, and the PET takes about 2 hours, all told.

I ended up being staged at IIIA, and did both pre-surgical chemo & radiation for 6 weeks, and another round of chemo post surgery, as I had two involved lymph nodes. I was 49 when diagnosed, and both my surgeon & oncologist encouraged me to take the most aggressive route possible, so that I would only have to go through this ONCE, hopefully. I did the whole routine, and 2 1/2 years later so far, so good. It was a bad YEAR, but NOTHING totally unbearable. I'm sure you are feeling very lost & confused right now, so take the time to talk to your docs & find out what all your options are, and what may work best for you...and if you aren't comfortable with your docs, check into a second opinion, as you will be working closely with these folks for some time.

I was diagnosed stage III in Sept. and I did have both PET and CT scans before staging. Next was chemo with port and pump 5 days each week along with radiation daily. Next were scans again and then the surgery was scheduled. My surgery went well and now I am having chemo again for four months. Hope all goes well with you. ,I know I felt,like I was in a tornado during all the testing and decisions on what treatment plan would be recommended.

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