H&P#21

It's been a rough week.

What was supposed to be a leisurely weekend in San Antonio turned into me unable to walk or talk or remember anything----an emergency ride back to College Station and a following hospital stay.  I had aseptic meningitis, which caused encephalitis, and I basically skipped over three days of my life.  I cannot remember much of Friday through Monday.  It was scary and a terrible 40th birthday for Stephen.  I was released yesterday, and I'm back at treatment today.
The good news is all the tests showed that my brain lesions have shrunk even further and everything else seems to be well.  I'm just super tired and weak from being in bed for so long and am trying to take it slow.  This whole thing also solidified what an amazing husband I have, how much he loves me, that my boys have been trained well, and that my in-laws are priceless, going above and beyond. We are only making it work between their help and service from friends.

Lately, I won't deny that I have asked, "Why?" quite a bit.  What else do I need to endure to learn what I need to learn?  What more? My family needs me! I want to be here for them and with them!

I found this small answer in scripture:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ?s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

First, I know I am God's "Beloved."  He knows me and loves me.

Next, trials are not unusual; we all have them, and they will help prove that we are on Christ's side and seeking to learn the things He would have us learn.

Who knows how much more I'll be called to endure, but for now, I'm hoping to endure it well.  (Minus that little episode when I didn't know what I was saying and yelled at my kids, "I WANNA EAT MAXO!  I WANNA EAT MAXO!!!  Maxo was Grandma's dog, and apparently I was trying to say I wanted Mexican food for dinner!  I'm sure we'll laugh about that for years to come!)

For now, I'm back in remission!

And, Mexican food doesn't sound too bad!

Goble This Cancer

I had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Goble today, to go over the MRI results and put a plan in place going forward.  Stephen was able to go with me, too!

He walked into the room with a smile and asked if we had seen the MRI.  Since we hadn't, he invited us to his office to have a comparison.  

"As you can see, it is markedly improved!  There are only a few tiny spots, and who knows? If we wait a few more months, they might go away, as the radiation could still have some effect."  

Back in the office, he asked me about all other symptoms, checked my strength, breathing, reflexes, etc.  Things look pretty good.  I have swelling and a fat, round face from the steroids, but I'm off them now.  

Moving forward, we will schedule an MRI every 3 months.  My cancer is like a weed....really aggressive and grows quickly, but it dies back easily when treated.  If there happen to be a few spots that start to grow back, there might be possible radio-surgical options, where Dr. G and a neurosurgeon would work together to tackle those spots.  Also, if the whole-brain scan happens to keep the cancer at bay for over a year or more before it comes back, we might look at whole-brain again.  "There have been occasions where whole brain radiation is repeated, but we need to know that it will have a durable response."

Dr. G hesitates to give me any kind of time frame.  He doesn't think I'm still on the 6-12 months, but he can't promise 10 years, either.  We are just taking one day at a time---really 3 months at a time by his monitoring.  

3 weeks at a time at Dr. Fleener's office.  Scanned every 3 months.  I can live season-to-season.  Just the fact that I feel like I can LIVE is enough for this week!!

 

MRI + Leave it to Fleener

Today was a big day.  A BIG day.....one we've been waiting on since I finished my whole-brain radiation.  

Today was MRI day....the follow-up MRI, which would should IF and how well the treatment worked to get me back to the land of the living, to extend my life span from the 6-12 month timeline and closer to the remission track.  

The MRI went smoothly.  No problems with needles or machines or time frame.  It was easy in, easy out.  

Then, I got to have lunch with Stephen, since he was off early!!  This also meant he could go to my appointment with Dr. Fleener!

We already had the phone call about GREAT PET results, but we got the official report:

"No abnormal areas of tracer localization are seen in the neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, or the skeleton.  No hypermetabolic cervical, axillary, intrathroacic, abdominal, or pelvic lymph nodes, liver, adrenal, or skeletal lesions are seen.  

NO EVIDENCE OF FDG AVID METASTATIC DISEASE.  STABLE EXAM SINCE 1/31/17!!!!!"

Dr. Fleener also was able to call and bet the reports EARLY from my MRI!!!!  There's no official report or images yet, but........

SHE CAME INTO THE ROOM WITH A SMILE AND A HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!  

The radiologist said that the tumors have decreased so much that he "had to squint to see any evidence."  

She knew it was improved.  She wanted to know a number---HOW MUCH HAVE THEY IMPROVED???

"99%"

Let me repeat that.....NINETY-NINE PERCENT!!!!!  

Like, there really is no other result that could have been better!!  The tumors have almost been erased from existence!!!

The tumors in my brain are basically battled back.  My symptoms are under control.  There is no evidence of disease anywhere else in my body.  

MIRACLES ARE STILL HAPPENING.  

Our plan moving forward:

Dr. Fleener feels like we should do something.  She's not sure how much will change or if doing a little something will make a huge difference, but she feels better doing something rather than nothing.  

So, we are going to go forward with the hormone (estrogen) therapy drug, Zoladex, which is a shot I'll receive every 4 weeks.  It will cause me to move into menopause with possible side effects: hot flashes, insomnia, feeling achey, lower sex drive, vaginal, and emotional changes.  There is no guarantee that this will prevent cancer from coming back, BUT---if there's a chance that some of my tumors might be fed by estrogen, it's worth a shot.  (ha!)

I'll also start receiving Zometa, a bone-building agent, with my regular maintenance drugs, which will help prevent osteoporosis.  

THERE WERE NO TEARS TODAY!!!  We were all smiles!!!  It's a little hard to believe that we actually have the miracle we've all been praying for.  Who knows how long it will last, but we are soaking it all in.  

From here, we will continue to scan every 4 months, or so.  There is always the looming cloud that cancer will come back, but we don't know where.  However, I have the best people watching me and constantly on the battle front.  

Today was a good day.  

PET scan

Happy April Fool's to me......PET scan time.

Dr. Fleener ordered another PET to go along with my MRI for next week, just to rule out cancer anywhere else in my body.....since I had that first MRI AFTER my regularly scheduled PET.  This will help us know where to go from here, after the results from the MRI come in.

Of course on this April Fool's Day, Stephen has a class, all three boys have soccer games, and my PET was set for the same time.  Thanks to a co-worker whose son is on Kyle's team for taking him, a friend for taking the others, and me for having the first scan of the day to get done early enough to be finished before the first soccer game was over!

Also, there were no hassles with the needle needed to inject me with radioactive material!!!

Easiest scan yet!

Now, let's hope for good results and a path forward that includes LOTs of time!