My dad wanted to be sure that we did not offer false hope: there is no tumor visible, that is for sure. But this is not a cancer-free status. It just means that the treatments have done what they were supposed to, things are moving in the right direction, and Mom gets a month off. Maybe many months off-- we hope!-- but as Dr Rixe put it, we are cautiously optimistic.
Let's celebrate!
jk
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tears of Joy
Well, I can hardly believe what I am about to type, but I have it on good authority (from my Aunt Cindy, nurse extraordinaire) that there is no new treatment plan because there is no tumor visible. No tumor! The PET scan was totally clear, and Dr. Rixe said that he is not going to treat her because there is no documentable disease to treat. (His first words when he walked in the door were: "Good news!")
If you're like me, you might be asking, "But what about that PET scan that was clear before the surgery back in October?" Well, there is that, and because of that Dr. Rixe is being cautious. However, that was a different case because the PET scan was taken right after a round of chemo and three weeks later, there was visible growth on the scan. This scan was taken three weeks after the most recent round of chemo and there is nothing! Nothing to even remark on. There was a line in the last MRI that Dr. Rixe wanted to watch and look for, but it was not even visible at all in this PET scan. So he says, "Is there one cell? Ten cells? 100? I don't know. But I cannot see anything."
This is incredible news. He will check her again in one month (via MRI), but for now, he said, "Go home! Go back to a normal life."
Normal has never seemed so extraordinary.
Cheers,
jk
If you're like me, you might be asking, "But what about that PET scan that was clear before the surgery back in October?" Well, there is that, and because of that Dr. Rixe is being cautious. However, that was a different case because the PET scan was taken right after a round of chemo and three weeks later, there was visible growth on the scan. This scan was taken three weeks after the most recent round of chemo and there is nothing! Nothing to even remark on. There was a line in the last MRI that Dr. Rixe wanted to watch and look for, but it was not even visible at all in this PET scan. So he says, "Is there one cell? Ten cells? 100? I don't know. But I cannot see anything."
This is incredible news. He will check her again in one month (via MRI), but for now, he said, "Go home! Go back to a normal life."
Normal has never seemed so extraordinary.
Cheers,
jk
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Yoga and Stuff!
I got to go to yoga with mom and dad yesterday. Mom said she had a "different kind of day" yesterday and wasn't feeling 100%, so Julie showed her a relaxation pose after class to help boost her energy and lift her spirits.
She has been doing lots, so if she's a little tired, it's no wonder. Sunday she caught a concert and went to Marriage Encounter. Saturday she attended a funeral, the Cinderella production at Shawe, and a charity dinner! Sheesh!
Wednesday she goes back to Dr. Rixe for a PET scan and a new plan. Will update!
Love,
jk
PS The picture above is of mom and Esphyr on the bluebell walk in Muscatatuck Park two weeks ago.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)