Monday

It turns out the 10am appointment today was for an oncology consultation, not a CT as expected. So we met with Dr. Foote who specialises in cancer and matters of the spine so it is a great fit for Mum at the moment. He took a history and considered options. The outcome of the consultation was:

- Mum is having the full body CT tomorrow to identify all lesions on the bone and again look at the best area to biopsy. This will be at 11.40am Tuesday (28/9)

- Dr. Foote is going to present Mum's case to a committee of doctors tomorrow to consider whether surgery on her spine would be a viable option to deal with the disintegrated vertebrae which is causing the pain and mobility issues. The purpose of the surgery would be to insert some sort of implant to replace the bone. I am pretty sure this would make Mum will be like the Six Million Dollar Man.

- The decision for surgery would have to take into account risks such as bleeding which are higher with Mum's pre-existing conditions. A benefit of this surgery would be they would be able to get a viable sample from her spine to test for the type cancer.

He did mention the results from the previous biopsy do have indications of melanoma but this is not in any way conclusive. A diagnosis will have to be based on a better tissue sample before concluding on a diagnosis and treatment plan. At the moment, melanoma is still just a possibility.

On the plus side, Mum has incredibly impressive reflexes. She nearly knocked the Dr. over when he was testing her knee reflexes.

He was a great doctor - he really seemed to know what he was talking about and he mentioned a few different options for where we are going with diagnosis and treatment. He also took the time to talk us through things without it being rushed. He made Mum feel very comfortable and I have confidence she is in extremely capable hands.