Here We Go Again....

I'm sorry about my lack of blogging in the past few months, but we were operating on the "no news is good news" policy. During the past months, Mom's tumor was stable, and we all led pretty normal lives with the occasional blood transfusion thrown in. As Mom's school year came to an end, she had another blood transfusion. A couple of days later, Mom and Dad received a call regarding her tumor marker number (the number that says whether the tumor is active or not). Unfortunately, the number had skyrocketed, and the doctors had an idea that something was going on.

Mom was sent to have a pancreatic CT scan, and we received the results a couple of weeks ago. The tumor has indeed gotten bigger. We weren't expecting that kind of news after everything had been going so well. The next step was to make an appointment with Hopkins, to meet with her surgeon, to get a better idea about next steps....

Mom and Dad traveled down to Baltimore last Tuesday, and I anxiously waited at home. Mom called me several hours later, and began the phone call with, "You'll have to have me around a little longer!" and I had an idea we received encouraging news. Though the tumor has indeed grown, it has not spread-especially to the liver. Because the tumor is still contained, Mom can hopefully continue to qualify for the Nano Knife procedure-where they will cut out the tumor. This could be done in a couple of months, but no one is very sure about when this will occur. There's a chance they'd fly her out to Louisville, KY, to meet with an expert out there, but hopefully Hopkins will have the equipment ready to go by that time and they could do it in MD. However, we're still a bit aways from that.

After meeting with her oncologist this past Friday, both surgeon and doctor agreed that the first step is more intensive chemotherapy. The chemo's goal is to shrink and keep the tumor contained, to help prepare it for surgery down the road. The doctor said there are two types of chemo-one that will ALWAYS make you lose your hair, one that sometimes will. When Mom asked which she would be receiving, the doctor said, "both". She also will be receiving a mediport, so her veins can have a rest (and after watching nurses try to find a bit of blood from at least one vein last night in the hospital, I can see why!). Mom did not receive this news well. As any woman can tell you, your hair is very personal, and the thought of losing it can make you very upset. Mom also doesn't want the stigma or the pity that comes with it. But you know what, people will know she's a fighter! The mediport also scares her, even though the procedure really is routine, and it will help her out so much. We've already looked into resources at Howard General-they have a whole cancer "salon" to help women with everything from wigs to scarves to learning to draw on eyebrows. I've also hooked up Mom with some dear friends who've been down this road before, and can assure her that she'll rock this look! (And if you think I'm going to shave my head to cheer her on? Well, Mom already said, "I will NEVER let you touch a hair on your head!" Ha! )

She will do many rounds of chemo-and the chemo itself is a 3 day process each week. I'm a little fuzzy on some of the details, but I can get more from Mom. She will begin soon (maybe right after vacation?) We're not sure what the future is going to bring, or how sick she will get, but we do know that the doctor's still have options and ways to fight it, which is a GOOD thing.

I'm not going to lie, it took a couple of days for me to process all this. I get so angry at Satan-He keeps trying to steal our hope, but I DO know that God is bigger then this, that He is using this journey to show His goodness. I am human though-I have cried. A Lot. I have had restless sleep...but now I've had time to digest this news-so has Dad and Mom, and we're ready to take it on again! Mom continues to tell me-she's not hopeless, she is even more in love with her Jesus. She is not disbelieving His promises. She's ready to fight. And hey. Bald is beautiful, right!?