Time for a long-overdue update tonight...Sarah and I had a great Valentine's Day - got to go out together for dinner and just enjoy each other's company for a while. Then this last weekend was pretty full for Ben and me: we went to the Indian Guides' winter camp-out (yes, we slept in heated cabins!). There was plenty of snow so we had a blast sledding and doing general winter stuff outdoors!
Sarah and I went in to see the UC neurosurgeon and also a UC radiation oncologist and both agreed that if we could manage the anxiety over Sarah having a possible brain met, we should wait until another scan shows us how this pituitary growth is reacting to the latest chemo. That next scan (a brain MRI) will be done in a few weeks so we will gather the experts once we have the results. Also, we discussed treatment options with Sarah's main oncologist and we much better understand the risk of this met spreading: since this pituitary met (?) formed near small "end-of-the-line" blood vessels, it is unlikely to spread to other areas of the brain via the bloodstream which is one of the few main modes of spread. It is expected to just grow or shrink at its current location at the pituitary. Future brain mets, if any, would have to come through the main blood supply from the body rather than from the pituitary growth. This was a great relief to both of us and lowered the sense of urgency on brain surgery, especially if the growth is being controlled by chemo.
Also, Sarah just got her 3rd treatment of Taxol/Carboplatin this Monday and is managing through the first few days of "chemo week." She seems to be weathering it ok except for fatigue in the evenings. Thankfully, very little nausea this time. This is also the cycle when tumor markers were run, so we should get those results tomorrow (Wed) and have some indication of how effective this chemo is so far. We're hoping for low numbers!
1 comment:
That snow looks like torture for a transplanted northerner who now lives in the balmy south. :) But my son would LOVE it, he had so much fun in the snow up in NH at my brother's house recently.
The cancer is a scary, scary thing. I wish I had words of wisdom, but I can only say that I am thinking of you. (( hug )) Words are so inadequate sometimes.
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