This week...

Just a quick update here...Sarah's echo came back fine, as did her pulmonary function test. Her oncologist has been very considerate regarding not wanting to radiate the mass that's in her chest, as it leads to a higher incidence of cancer as an adult. With that said, he was looking for a clear PET scan with nothing lighting up, and it was indeed clear last Monday. He wanted to be able to palpate no nodules, and he could not. He wanted to see a 70% reduction in the mass in her chest. But, there was only a 60% reduction in it. Argh! It is so close that he was going to spend the week discussing her case with colleagues to see if we could add a couple of doses of a different type of chemo after she's done with the next couple of rounds rather than radiate. It would not be the typical "standard of care" treatment, but he does believe that she's had a good response, and that the "cure" rate is still very, very high for Sarah. That's the good part. What we wouldn't want of course, is for whatever path we/they choose for her, that she would relapse later, and need heavier chemos along with radiation.

So, that's where we stand with Sarah. We're going to OHSU tomorrow for chemo, and he should let us know what he thinks is the wisest choice in regard to the next step for her. If he suggests radiation, it will be for 2 1/2 weeks every day for 5-10 minutes per day. I'd prefer to get it done at OHSU as they treat more pediatric patients up there, and that feels safer to me.

As for my stuff, the oncologist had me take some extra scans to check them against my CEA numbers, and I had no new lesions. One may have been a tiny bit bigger, but they couldn't say for sure. That was good news. I'd expected an increase based on numbers, but I've been feeling good; no cancer side effects, only chemo side-effects. We will come home from OHSU on Monday night, leave Sarah with siblings and Zofran (a wonderful anti-nausea drug) then on Tuesday, Pat and I will head up to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA. I have an appointment with a medical oncologist Wednesday, and we'll return home Thursday. Fred Hutchinson's is a world reknowned cancer center. I'd like to see if they have anything inovative to try with the liver. I've heard they have wonderful care, and you can get results of scans and blood work the same day. That would be great. (As long as the results are good :D)

Thanks for "listening", and many blessings to you this Christmas season. Be sure to pass them on to others,too. If you need a reason why, you can go to www.globalrichlist.com, and compare yourself to the rest of the world.

Lots of love to you,
Jeanne