I just had my PET scan done. What a position in life when the good news is that the bad news is not any worse. Results show that I do not have any tumors that were not already known about. So I am counting blessings....Now I will enjoy Thanksgiving with family and see what game plan Docs can come up with to beat the odds. Faith, pray and encouragement from friends continue to help with the pain and frustration.
Let this Thanksgiving be the one where you truly realize what matters in life and give thanks.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
November update
I just returned from NIH/NCI at the end of October. I went through the usual battery of tests and scans. This was to be the trip that the test would show if the brain tumor inflammation was going down enough to return to the PHP surgery regiment. After 2 days of tests/scans, I sat with Dr. Hughes to go over the results.
My brain tumor inflammation is in fact going down and the numerous tumors in the liver are holding, which is to say they are not growing or shrinking in a measurable way. Both items to be looked at in a positive light. But of course as has been the case with this disease, another tumor has been identified outside of the liver in the lymph node system in the area of the small intestine, stomach, pancreas, and liver. Once identified, they go back and re-evaluate the previous scans to see if it was there or is new. It did in fact show up on the previous scans. It has not yet penetrated any of those organs but it is growing at about 1.5 cm every 6 weeks and will need to be removed. I am waiting to undergo a PET scan so that it can thoroughly determine if I have any other tumors outside the liver. Intense abdominal pain as the tumor is pushing on the stomach, small intense, and liver. Constant high temperature and cold sweats and just a part of it all.
I hope that this difficult and uncertain time would encourage those who read to know Jesus & to cherish and value those people and relationships in your life because all the other stuff is just crap.
My brain tumor inflammation is in fact going down and the numerous tumors in the liver are holding, which is to say they are not growing or shrinking in a measurable way. Both items to be looked at in a positive light. But of course as has been the case with this disease, another tumor has been identified outside of the liver in the lymph node system in the area of the small intestine, stomach, pancreas, and liver. Once identified, they go back and re-evaluate the previous scans to see if it was there or is new. It did in fact show up on the previous scans. It has not yet penetrated any of those organs but it is growing at about 1.5 cm every 6 weeks and will need to be removed. I am waiting to undergo a PET scan so that it can thoroughly determine if I have any other tumors outside the liver. Intense abdominal pain as the tumor is pushing on the stomach, small intense, and liver. Constant high temperature and cold sweats and just a part of it all.
I hope that this difficult and uncertain time would encourage those who read to know Jesus & to cherish and value those people and relationships in your life because all the other stuff is just crap.
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