Leave it to Fleener:
My first appointment of the day was with Dr. Fleener. I hadn't heard anything from her office, which was weird. She usually calls herself or has a nurse call me with news, good or bad. Hearing nothing could mean everything was fine, and she didn't call because I was coming in today. It could mean she didn't get the results until later than expected. OR....it could mean the results were too messy to discuss over the phone.
After my vitals were taken, I went into the room and waited.
When the door opened, in walked a smiling doctor, doing a celebratory dance, arms having the MRI report. "It's good news!" she proclaimed!
"Punctate enhancement involving the cerebellar vermis is redemonstrated, though is somewhat less evident. The overall location is unchanged. The degree of enhancement is less intense. The lesion measured 1-3 mm. No new areas of enhancement."
Basically, the spots are less prominent on the MRI, some smaller, have not grown, and there are no new areas.
The changes could be due to treatment, so if that's true, the treatment I'm on has done some good.
Y'all?
Prayers work and God still sends miracles. I swear the prayers from my boys, specifically that "Mommy will not have cancer the year," along with the many, MANY prayers from countless family, friends, and unknown acquaintances of these have made an incredible difference. Thank you!
As for moving forward, we will continue the Letrozole, a drug to fight estrogen. We will continue to try to to fight to get my insurance to cover Ibrance, but I won't start taking it on an irregular basis, as that may do more harm than good. I will have my ovaries removed, an oophorectomy. We will do another MRI in eight weeks, to make sure things are still looking up.
There is another patient of Dr. Fleener's who also has had to think about cancer trying to creep into her brain. Dr. Fleener told me that we are in a small club of people who "we don't know if these results are due to treatment or just a God thing. And we don't care either way, as long as it stays away."
It's so nice to have an answer AND that the answer is so positive!
I mentioned that I didn't really feel a lot of worry while waiting for these results, even though it's great to hear good news, I'd be glad to hear anything that would help us make a plan to fight. It's not crazy to be in limbo sometimes, as much of my life is always in limbo. We try not to focus on it, but stage IV cancer comes with a permanent dark cloud above my head. When will cancer return? Where will it be, and how will we fight it?
Dr. Fleener reminded me how good I am at having that cloud, but continuing to live and try to enjoy whatever time I have. That is what helps me keep on keepin' on.
Goble this cancer:
After lunch, I had an appointment with Dr. Goble. He added to Fleener's opinions about the MRI results. He just kept saying how "optimistic" he is about them. He is optimistic that these spot are not malignant! Necrosis, more likely. There was really nothing to say except to plan another MRI in two months. (Which is exactly what Fleener recommended.)
It was good news, and I LOVE good news!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment