My biopsy is scheduled soon on my upper right thigh (sarcoma)

They do chemo to make sure they are getting any cells that may have traveled to other organs in your body. After they remove the tumor, there is a test they can do to see if they did get all the cancer. Sometimes the insurance pays for it, sometimes it doesn't. My insurance did pay for even though I was a stage 2, but I have Lynch syndrome so fortunately the insurance covered it. The test is only a couple years old. It's relatively new but pretty amazing. They run this test about a month after the cancer is removed. It's called a Signatera test and it looks for the cells of that specific tumor in your body. They say it should be out of your body within 24 hours if they got all the cancer with surgery, but most doctors like to run the test about a month after the surger of 5f redy. You could always ask to have that done after you have the cancer removed to make sure they got all the cancer, and there's no lingering cells floating around going somewhere else. They say that when there is cells remaining there is a much more higher likelihood the cancer may return or go somewhere else. There is reasons that they are suggesting chemo to you and those reasons are to really make sure that they are getting everything. And killing everything and giving you the best possible chance at curing this. I don't think anyone wants to see a chemo though. You do have to do what's going to be best for you but you don't want to have regrets either later on down the road!!! I hope you're feeling good, you seem like you have a positive outlook and that's great.
Angela

Thanks for the insight . I know about nausea meds .. I did not know you can move around . I am personable yet having slips of emotion here and there. Sometimes I think this is just a bad dream .. I understand life , at any age this is difficult . I admire children who go through this , extremely difficult for me to see children with cancer. Always was , I can’t imagine , not only children and the families . So I have to look at the bright side .. I have made it this far .. god bless your family and you … Let’s get this done ..

@rond306 You have a great attitude and I am sure you will figure out how to fill your time. With my son, they gave anti-nausea meds with his in-patient chemo that can
make you sleepy, as well as IV hydration. You may want to sleep or you can do any or all of the suggestions you mentioned. They will monitor you to make sure there aren’t any reactions, but if you feel up to it, I can imagine you could do laps around the unit. Bring a book or a tablet loaded with books on the kindle app., games and Netflix, etc. The hospital where my son was treated allowed him to use vouchers for the cafeteria instead of ordering off the menu so he could eat whatever appealed to him as chemo can affect the tastebuds. Take one day at a time. Hopefully the chemo will start shrinking the tumor right away! I am doing well, thank you. An outpatient procedure in July for a different issue, but hopefully that will be all until my annual transplant testing late Nov or Dec. All good!
You may meet others to exchange ideas and make friends in the hospital or if you search online for your type of sarcoma which can help. Not everyone’s path is the same, but sharing info is helpful. Take care and keep us updated!

Jen , this is the best possible choice . As the road ahead can be a bit bumpy at times , maybe some potholes ahead , my job is to keep this road freshly paved . So the surgery ,when we do get to that point ,of the journey is a few days in hospital and 1-3 weeks recovery … I know that can be difficult yet the easiest part for me … The scans after chemo will reveal , how I am doing . That will be huge . Scheduling of chemo will be any day now . 3 straight days of intravenous .. jeez .. movies ? Books ? Online games ? Sleep .. I have no idea sitting or laying down for 3 straight days how that feels .. I am always active at some capacity . Are you doing well physically ?

@rond306 Hi Rond,
I have been watching for an update from you and am glad to hear you are fighting this thing head on! You CAN do this! I hope it responds right away and begins to shrink so they can successfully remove it all. I will be cheering you on in your battle and wish a long future with your family. Stay strong!!
I will send you a message. Take care!

Bellsina , Chemo time , 3 days of intravenous next week .. early in week …. I am excited for only one reason .. we need this monster in my thigh shrunk … then we will see next scan .. 26-27cm .. starting to press on nerve a bit …. Yet I am fine …. How are you feeling ?

Chemo early next week Jen … it’s ok …. Let’s do this … However I feel makes no difference , 3 days of intravenous , I will get over it … How are you feeling ?

Bellsina , one thing has happened , of course , not ever over the emotional stress of knowing you have a cancer , yet after a few weeks , I feel pretty good dealing with this suspected monster . After many emotional break downs , I am ready to do the best I can .. I still have moments . Yet much much much less … for me once it sinks In I will fight for my life , not only physically yet emotionally .. as I said a while ago , what else is new , nothing been a cake walk in my life , like many other people .. that’s ok , I have done some very different things in my life .. I never seem to take a traditional route .. thanks again for letting me vent and for your feedback ..

I do get it , use radiation , shrink the son of a gun 11 inches … grrrr ,,, then you kill off the cells … I am understanding more and more quickly .. so tomw online with radiation doc .. then of course last night I was thinking chemo pills , maybe at some point … I want to see it shrink first … I feel optimistic it will … Bottom line more money in chemo Theraphy in a hospital … I am not an expert … nor a doctor … yet , for any doctor always easier for them to say chemo … If I was in my 80 s .. I would have 2 words for them … I am not asking to live forever , give me at least 10-14 more … I be ok with that …. I think they can shrink and get this out then chemo … that makes more sense to me and why not chemo pills ? 3 days with intravenous for 8-10 hrs is no picnic ..

I felt a little pressure from chemo doctor s team. I don’t like anyone pressuring me . No one does … Sort of a used car salesman type of deal .. Listen , they were all very nice … don’t get me wrong . Instead of saying to me you can do radiation right now , they are telling me more about chemo . And the more I read as I remember with my father and his prostrate cancer back in 88, they also have chemo pills ….. This dawned on me last night also … Sometimes you have to put doctors in check .. Tomw , I have online appt . With radiation doctor … at 9 am , then main doctor they will discuss reversing , Yet there was never a reversal in my mind … Radiation was mentioned first , from the get go , by my
Doctor , I was ok 100 percent.. there is no reason for change of course right now …. so let’s do it … .. Chemo we can do , later .. they will want to do it anyway I feel … I have to read up more on chemo in Europe ..