So what exactly did we find out today? Nothing. Okay, so that's not entirely true, but that is kind of what it feels like. So let me try to use my amazing psychic abilities to anticipate your questions.
Are they going to do chemo? Maybe, but not right now. Her immune system still hasn't recovered enough from radiation that they would even begin to feel comfortable assaulting her bone marrow with Chemo.
So, what are they doing? They took her blood to test her immune system as mentioned above. They also took some spinal fluid to see if there are any cancer cells floating around in there. She is just inside line between what they consider a serious case and a not-so-serious case on the not-so-serious case side. They are also trying to decide what needs done because the vast majority of medulloblastoma tumors are in children so they are trying to "Extrapolate" aka guess what should be done in the case of an adult. There just aren't enough cases of adult medulloblastomas for there to be any conclusive steps to take in order to ensure the best chance for survival. that leaves us with a benefit vs. harm question. If there are cancer cells floating around inside her fluid then we will need to move forward with chemo asap. If not, I don't know.
But, wasn't her scan clean? yes, but it only shows things that are visible. We don't know what is going on microscopically. Additionally the doctor said that these tumors have about a fifty percent chance of coming back within 10 years. Not only that but medulloblastomas will sometimes show back up in weird places outside the brain (liver, lungs, etc.) which is different from most brain tumors.
We feel kind of "Yuck" about all of this, but it is just another mountain that we will have to surmount as best we can. Not what we had hoped, but not a surprise either.
:/ I see how a text could not explain all of that. And sorry to bother you, I guess I was just hoping for fantastic news.
ReplyDeleteAs always, the prayers will continue, and I believe in the power of the priesthood. It's amazing the things that should happen, or typically do happen, but don't when we're exercising faith and the power that Heavenly Father has given you and many others. Tyler is one of those should of/most of the time kind of things, but the same power that created the earth in all it's perfect amazingness is the same power you hold.
I'm sorry Scott (and Katrina). She's a fighter too! And I think a lot of this is will power to survive. Grr. So much to say, probably not a lot of comfort at this stage.
I'm sorry.