March 2012 MRI Results

E. had his latest MRI on Friday.

We met with the radiation oncologist today.

He walked in and immediately said, "Well, there's a little bit of change." I think I stopped breathing. He went on to say that the change might be consistent with "ongoing evolution of scar tissue." I exhaled a little. That was good, right? He further stated that things looked "faded and fuzzy" (which we have learned is good). E. asked if anything looked nodular (which we have learned is bad). Nothing nodular. And even better, there was nothing new to look at since the last scan. No new stuff growing. We're still watching what the old stuff is doing. So, we're in a holding pattern of "watch and see."

Inhale. Exhale. Big sigh of relief.

Next scans coming up in June.

S.

MRI Time

It seemed to sneak up on us, but's it here ... time for another MRI. Hoping everything inside that thick skull of his has remained "stable." :)

Grandpa and Peanut

We got to visit with Grandpa a bit, which the kids always love. He'll be coming to town next month for some check-ups, so hopefully we'll get to see more of him then.

And there's the big 3 year old sitting on Grandpa's lap! It's hard to believe he turned 3 already. Peanut had to have a "party," just like the one in the SpongeBob book we always read ... with a birthday cake, balloons, presents, party hats, and krabby patties with candles on top! He started preschool and seems to love it, especially the part about playing "goose" (duck, duck, goose?) on the playground. He got his cast off just yesterday after five long weeks (he broke his arm after falling off the merry-go-round), and now has to wear that black brace for a few more weeks. It certainly hasn't slowed him down any. As always, he's a mile a minute.

Other than that, life is keeping us busy. Just thought I'd pop in and say hi.

S.

3 Years

Three years ago, our world went topsy-turvy. We were suddenly thrown into a surreal land that we could never have imagined, where suddenly every thought we had and every decision we made was dictated by cancer. Even now, three years later, cancer is not far from our minds. The anxiety builds as each MRI or PET/CT approaches. When there is good news, we quickly breathe a sigh of relief, only to have that anxiety start building again as we wait for the next scan.

Yet, life is good. E. is here. I have my husband. The kids have their dad. We enjoy the simple everyday blessings of friends and family. There is so much to be grateful for, of which we are reminded every single day. Like the ole saying goes, "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all."

Oncologist Review

E. met with the local oncologist today. It was another one of those review appointments more than anything. He was pleased with how E. was doing and was thrilled with the most recent MRI results. E.'s still having some long-term effects of the chemotherapy and radiation, including neuropathy in his fingers and toes, but there's nothing that can be done about that. Overall, E.'s doing great. Unless something comes up in the meantime, E. doesn't have to see the oncologist again for another six months as well.

MRI Results

It was before 8:00 in the morning when the radiation oncologist called with the results of yesterday's MRI. There is no new growth. Matter of fact, he said things even look a little better. I asked if cancer could present like that ... growing and then shrinking. "Not typically" was the answer, especially since there has been no treatment involved. "And what about scar tissue?" was of course my next question. "Sometimes." Don't you just love how clear this all is? Us too. But really, this is the best news we could have gotten. It's not the news we expected, which it makes it all the better and more incredible. Things need to be kept a close watch on, so another MRI will be scheduled for a couple of months down the road. In the meantime, we'll keep a close eye on things at home too.

MRI Day

E. got his MRI done today without any fanfare.

He has an appointment with the oncologist on Thursday, January 19th, so I'm assuming we'll get the results then.