One of the doctors from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Boston Children's Hospital called me today. They had just gotten done discussing Kaitlyn's new scans and felt that the cut/angulation of the images was a little off from the one scan to the other, and basically, that meant they saw a little growth in the tumor. Nothing monumental, but a little different than initial, informal diagnosis here in Denver (no growth/change). Their diagnosis is that this lesion is a low-grade (non-aggressive) glioma, not a demyelinating lesion. Thus, their recommended treatment plan would be to start chemo probably within the next three months (if Denver still wanted to wait 3 months and re-scan, that would be reasonable, the doctor said). He told me these types of tumors are not fast-growing, but they tend to be chronic in nature. In essence, within months or a few years after chemotherapy, they generally grow back. But, the good news is that, in most cases, when these kids hit their 20s, the tumor stops growing. So the plan, then, is to stop or reverse the growth in these kinds of tumors with the least toxic types of therapy available until they get into their 20s and the tumor does not grow back.
This is only the first of the official opinions and second opinions to come back. Johns Hopkins, Mass General and the Denver team have yet to offer their feedback. Stay tuned. *sigh*
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
No News Is Somewhat Good News
August 10 came and went and the results of Kaitlyn's latest MRI scans are, as yet, inconclusive. The good news is that whatever this lesion is, it is NOT aggressive and growing. We are very thankful for that. In the meantime, we are waiting for all the doctors, radiologists, neurosurgeons, neurologists and neuro-oncologists to weigh in on what to do next. Some docs have mentioned going into a continued surveillance mode. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. We should have more opinions and strategies after next Tuesday, Aug. 28th, so I'm hoping to have something good to report by then. In the meantime, she has been healthy and happy. She seems to be falling more, e.g. off her bike, running and tripping, etc., but I can't tell you if that is just being a kid or something else. Neither can the doctors. It's frustrating, but we'll figure this thing out.
On a slightly different note, you'll notice that I have a link to my novel, Silent No More, on the right side here. My mom is trying to sell her house and it needs a lot of work. We're also trying to get her situated financially, since she has been living hand-to-mouth since my father died. I've been wracking my brain as to what I can do to be more of assistance. We have been hit pretty hard with medical costs and trying to save as much as possible in the event that the economy continues to slide.
It occurred to me this morning that I can raise money for my mom by donating all the proceeds of my e-book sales to meeting her needs. So I'm urging you all, my friends, that if you feel like you need a good book to read, then please click on the link and purchase my novel. If you love it, lend your review and pass the news on to your friends. If you don't like it, just toss it in the digital trash heap (I won't be offended in the least). In the meantime, all the money that comes from the sale of these e-books (minus taxes and a 10 percent donation to church) will be funneled back to helping my mom. Thanks in advance for all your support!
Seems sort of fitting, don't you think? The woman who first inspired my love of reading will be the beneficiary of my first novel.
On a slightly different note, you'll notice that I have a link to my novel, Silent No More, on the right side here. My mom is trying to sell her house and it needs a lot of work. We're also trying to get her situated financially, since she has been living hand-to-mouth since my father died. I've been wracking my brain as to what I can do to be more of assistance. We have been hit pretty hard with medical costs and trying to save as much as possible in the event that the economy continues to slide.
It occurred to me this morning that I can raise money for my mom by donating all the proceeds of my e-book sales to meeting her needs. So I'm urging you all, my friends, that if you feel like you need a good book to read, then please click on the link and purchase my novel. If you love it, lend your review and pass the news on to your friends. If you don't like it, just toss it in the digital trash heap (I won't be offended in the least). In the meantime, all the money that comes from the sale of these e-books (minus taxes and a 10 percent donation to church) will be funneled back to helping my mom. Thanks in advance for all your support!
Seems sort of fitting, don't you think? The woman who first inspired my love of reading will be the beneficiary of my first novel.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
One More Week
We hope to have a definitive diagnosis after re-imaging Kaitlyn this coming Friday. It has been a long summer and the wait has been tough. Now we are praying that not only will we know exactly what she's facing - tumor, MS, or one-time lesion - and how to combat it, but also that it might be that one-time lesion option. If it is diagnosed as ADEM (the one-time lesion), then it should be well into the self-resolving stage by now and will not occur again in her lifetime. If it is a tumor, it should be more pronounced, and if it's MS/demyelinating, then we'll probably see another lesion. Finally, if there is no change, we may be asked to wait a few more months. I can't even begin to tell you what that might be like, but it's still better than brain surgery. I'll post again after Friday. Thank you for all your prayers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)