Today I’m flying to St. Louis for my first post transplant appointment with the GI team.  It also marks 4 months since my liver transplant.  On the transplant front it has been going very well.  The surgical incisions have healed up very nice and almost no soreness left.  All labs look good with my white blood count staying between 6 and 8. 

On the oncology side, something might be growing.  My CtDNA test was positive in September, with a low number.  I also had a CT scan done at the end of September.  The radiologist at UT Southwestern said it was clear but my oncologist, Dr. Kazmi, found a lymph node on my right side near my lower diaphragm that measured 1.7mm.  I scheduled a PET scan a few weeks later and that lymph node was glowing happy on the radioactive sugar.  I met with UT Southwestern radiation oncologist Dr. Sanford yesterday and she feels it is likely cancer.  I’m going to move forward with 5 rounds of radiation over three weeks.  

While UTSW does not offer proton therapy, we discussed if it would be more beneficial.  Her thoughts are this lymph node is not near any sensitive areas and radiation would be fine. Proton therapy is great when you are trying to avoid an organ or something near by.  

I always knew I would have a tumor pop up post transplant and that I would have to zap it. I did not expect something to pop up this fast. Looks like I will be starting radiation in two weeks.