Results.

I know you all have been waiting for an update on my MRI and I apologize for the delay in getting this posted! It’s been a long day and I have been very tired and spent most of the afternoon sleeping.

I received a message this morning from Dr. Giever that the MRI results showed that there is still a lot of swelling in the brain, but it is reduced from the previous MRI. The conclusion shows that there “Areas of cortical and leptomeningeal enhancement in the posterior left frontal, left parietal and right occipital lobe persist but are slightly decreased in degree of enhancement in comparison to previous study. There is also been a significant interval reduction in the amount of surrounding vasogenic edema. This suggests partial response to therapy. No new areas of metastatic involvement are demonstrated."

So, I guess that is a good news/bad news thing. I mean, that is great there is no new areas of tumors but I was sure hoping to hear a GREAT or IMPROVED response to treatment. I guess I wasn’t expecting “slightly decreased”. Discussion with the physician indicates that it is hard to tell if it is dead or live tumor until the next scan, and what is left could just be dead tumor that will stay there as scar tissue or eventually slough off. The good news is that there has been no spreadage. So, I have been put on fairly high dose steroids to get the swelling down and the taper schedule is over the next 6 weeks rather than the 3 weeks that I was on before. He feels it is unlikely that any significant cancer survived the amount of radiation that was given, so the likelihood of increased tumor at my next scan on July 26th is doubtful. I’ll have to say I’ll feel better when it is definitive. For now, we wait.

So, God listened, and He didn’t say yes and He didn’t say no, He said maybe. Maybe it will get better, maybe it will not. But for today, I just have to have faith. So, faith is what I will have. I will take my meds and hope and pray that the cancer is just lying dormant and dead in my brain.

In the meantime, we will do a CT scan tomorrow and I’ll see Dr. Rado next week and I’ll know if there has been any spread in the rest of my body. I have to confess that I have had a little cough as of late, but that could be related to the radiation, not necessarily any cancer in my lungs. But that question will be cleared up next Tuesday and I will also have a little more information regarding my path forward as far as medical oncological treatment. Do I do Avistin or the PARP Inhibitor (just finished with clinical trials). There are a lot of unanswered questions, cancer is a lot of waiting, wondering, worrying and hoping.

On to happier matters. Was that a wonderful article or what?? Is that the coolest thing in the world the recognition that was given to the incredible people who did my backyard. I am so humbled, grateful and heart warmed. And I have to say it came on a week when I needed it the absolute most. Thanks to my friends for getting me through what has ended up being a very difficult week. I was able to sit on the patio this morning and enjoy an hour with my mother while Peyton and Dad walked the dogs. It was awesome.

So for now I rest, I wait and I hope and I pray. And I know you join me. I feel your prayers, they keep me going.