A Little Lovin'

Straight out of the bath

and The Nut had to stop

and give his teddy a little lovin'.

There's not a day that goes by

that he doesn't make us smile.

Appt. Formality

Oops, I almost forgot to mention another doctor appt. It was more of a formality than anything, but since this blog has kept track of E.'s entire medical saga, I think it's only fitting to include it all.

After E. completed his Cyberknife treatments, he needed to wait to six to eight weeks for another MRI and then have follow-up appointments with all his respective doctors. Well, he had that MRI (with the incredible N.E.D. results we had been hoping and praying for) in Houston a few weeks ago and we met with the doctors there. We hadn't yet met with the local doctors here though.

On Friday, E. had an appointment with Dr. T., the radiation oncologist. Dr. T. reviewed the CD of the PET/CT and MRI scans we had brought with us from MD Anderson and said everything "looked good." He spoke with E. about some lingering side effects and put him through a typical physical examination. When he noticed E.'s hair loss on the back of his head due to the radiation, E. said, "SHE thinks I should just shave it all." To that, Dr. T. responded, "Or wear a hat!" E. doesn't think either one of us know what we're talking about.

Dr. T. was pleased with E.'s test results and with his appearance, as are we. He agreed with the doctors in Texas that E. needed to be watched closely as once cancer spreads to the brain it can crop up anywhere, and of course, can be treated more effectively the quicker it is found. He concurred with the time frame of scans at three-month intervals and would see us again after E.'s next scans in March.

There's still two more formality appointments pending locally ... the medical oncologist and the neurosurgeon, both scheduled for mid-January. Oh, and E. needs to have his Dilantin (anti-seizure medication) levels checked again to make sure he's still in the therapeutic level, so he'll be headed to the lab next week.

S.

Appt. with the Oncologist

Today we met with the oncologist. It was another one of those funky appointments where we met with a slew of people before we actually met with the person we wanted to. First it was the CNA, then the RN, then the PA, and then the research assistant. Finally, Dr. A. came in with an entourage of four other doctors following him (that was a first for us ... and just a little odd to have four other doctors standing there who never said a word). It made for a very crowded room.

Dr. A. was blunt and to the point. He said that E. has been through a lot since he'd last seen him, but was impressed with how well E. looked. He reaffirmed what we already knew - that the PET/CT and the MRI showed no cancer at this point. He stated that when there is cancer in the brain, it becomes the priority and needs to be watched closely. He'd like to see E. back in three months for repeat scans. E. will also have a consult with a doctor from the brain center at the next visit as well.

We asked a few questions. No, there is no need for follow-up or "mop-up" chemotherapy right now. If the cancer were to come back anywhere, then different chemotherapy treatments would be considered. Yes, E. can get in the hot tub and sauna again (E. was thrilled to hear this). No, there is nothing we need to do with the "HER+" status of E.'s cancer, but that is good information to keep on hand in case it is needed later.

Five minutes after Dr. A. and his entourage entered, the whirlwind of doctors went out the door. It was a tad bizarre. But the good news remains, as do the smiles on our faces.

S.

Christmas Came Early

We arrived a few minutes early for E.'s 11:00 appointment with Dr. M.

We signed in and sat in the waiting room.

We waited.

The CNA came out and took his vitals.

And we waited.

We were taken to an examining room and the nurse went over his chart.

And we waited.

The Physician's Assistant came in and reviewed his medical history. She asked lots of questions. She repeatedly asked E. if he was feeling any pain in his chest or if he was having any trouble swallowing. E. and I exchanged a look. Why was she asking that? Should he be feeling pain? Should he be having trouble swallowing? She stated that Dr. M. had reviewed the scans and would have the results for us. She examined E.. Then she left. (I should note that on previous visits, the Physician's Assistant has always given us the test results herself.)

And we waited.

Finally, Dr. M. made his appearance. He came in and said, "Well, like my PA already told you ... there is NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE. As of right now, you are completely cancer free."

(E. did say the next time he sees that sweet PA, who we honestly love, he's gonna kick her ass!)

Dr. M. went on to say that the brain MRI shows "little blood clots in the area of the brain surgery that are resolving," which is "normal," that the area of that once positive lymph node shows "nothing," and the esophageal and abdominal area looks "pristine." He is recommending repeat scans in four months, as any recurrences are much more treatable the earlier they are caught.

Any chemotherapy at this point is debatable, but needs to be discussed with the oncologist at the appointment tomorrow. Of course, the news we just heard couldn't be better! We're both breathing a big sigh of relief and counting our sweet blessings yet again.

Day of Tests

After a long day of traveling (with a not-so-happy toddler and even-less-happy co-passengers), we finally crashed in the hotel bed at about midnight ... with that squirmy toddler snuggled comfortably between us (comfortably for HIM, that is). E. was not allowed to have anything by mouth prior to the morning's tests, so there was no rush to eat breakfast before his first appointment.

Peanut and I dropped E. off at "Nuclear Medicine" for his PET/CT scans at 10:30 a.m. and proceeded to wander the halls while we waited for him. We stopped at the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat and then we walked around some more. We walked, and we walked, and we walked. E. was finally done at 1:30, which gave us enough time to eat a quick lunch of tuna sandwiches before his next appointment. After a slight mishap of taking him to the MRI center in the wrong building, we arrived at his 2:30 p.m. appointment at the right location only a few minutes late. They told me it would be at least a couple of hours, which at least meant that Peanut could get a nap in (and maybe me too!). By 4:45, Peanut and I were cruising the halls again, waiting for E. to be done. It was about 5:15 p.m. before he was finally out and ready to go.

E. said the tests were "fine." He said the PET/CT scan was the same as the ones in the past. He stated that the MRI was very different than the ones he received at home though. They put ear plugs in his ears, rolled towels on the sides of his head and then a hard, clear, plastic piece came down over his head, like a "stealth fighter pilot." He said it was very loud and very confining. They gave him a button to push if he had a panic attack, but E. said he closed his eyes through the entire thing and didn't have to push the button at all. At some point during the MRI, E. said he could feel his head burning in the spots where he had had the surgery. Is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing? Is that normal? Is that not?

I have a feeling it's going to be a long night. We meet with the doctor tomorrow at 11:00 and should know the test results then.

Texas Bound

Here we go again.

We're headed to Texas in the morning. Travel all day Monday. Tests all day Tuesday ... labs, PET/CT, MRI and possibly an endoscopy. A doctor appointment on Wednesday and another doctor appointment on Thursday. Home on Friday.

Or that's the plan as of today anyways.

Thankfulness

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that time of year to be thankful

and we obviously have much to be appreciative about.

Thankfulness abounds in our home ...

which is evident by our "Thankful Tree."

Just take a look at some of these great leaves

expressing all the things our family has to be thankful for.

Every day we each rattled off one thing we were thankful for.

We could have kept going for months.

We could have had enough leaves to decorate the trees of a forest.

That's a pretty neat feeling.

I am, well, thankful.