I have bad news at this point. The MRI is back and confirms the tumor in the lower abdomen. The CT scan says that there is another tumor in the upper abdomen as well and I am to be getting another CT scan this time of the chest to try to determine if lung involvement is seen. My friend I saw April 13th and 14th had some oxygen concentrators and it helped me feel better. This is NOT a good sign. I also have had enough of the pathology report come back and with other data from the doctors, I was able to follow the Mayo Clinic cancer staging chart for GIST tumors. Following the data charts (there are two and both needed to be followed), both the charts say that I am in the final stage (end stage) with current available data. Still trying to get the right specialists to determine if there is an effective treatment course at this juncture. However my treatment is complicated by the fact I am highly allergic to corn products and this allergy DOES NOT follow the typical IgE antibody route that we have medical counters for with example drugs of Benadryl and epinephrine. Because of this the only way to deal with this is avoidance. Because the FDA has declared corn as generally regarded as safe (GRAS), 99.9% of the drugs currently in use either in production of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) or in the excipient ingredients (chemicals used to package the drug) either exposure and/or direct derivative of corn is present in the formulation. I actually looked up the drugs to use for a GIST tumor which according to pathology is what I have. ALL of the drugs WITHOUT EXCEPTION are fermented by genetically modified yeast grown on corn AND in addition contain excipient ingredients derived from corn. In a weakened state due to cancer this can likely kill me before the treatment becomes effective. Due to the spread of the cancer and the fact GIST tumors don't form a center of mass but instead forms fingers throughout the tissue surgery is out of the question, and radiation is likely to kill because the sites are not localized.
I shared the above as these are the choices I am facing at this juncture. My sister put it best when she said "you are in the hands of God now.". I am likely going to do palliative care only and let the cancer take it course at this juncture. I am not looking to extend life except God intervenes!!!