Clinic updates - August 28, 2014

Follow up at clinic today for Asa.  I wish we had all the info, but we will share and explain what we know. MRI and CT scans look good.  There are a few oddball items.  First, there has been a less than pinhead size unidentifiable blip on Asa's lung since the first beginning scan.  The call it an "artifact," basically  an unknown.  The blip has shrunk and no one has any idea what it is and the agreement is that it is likely not metastatic disease, but no one really knows and it's way too microscopic to biopsy.  Second oddball item is some difference in tissue along the suture site in the liver.  No one really thinks it's anything other than an oddity.  The bottom line is that none of this matters as long as Asa's blood protein markers are good.  Those will go up if there is any active disease.  Blood work was done today, but the doc still hasn't called us with the info or posted it yet.  As stated before, before last chemo, this number was 13, down from 51K+, now only one point above normal.  Other news was EKG was fine and hearing as we learned last week, was the same.  

So, how can you pray? Do pray that all these little things amount to nothing.  The first year is the most common for finding little recurrences that require another shot of chemo.  Second year is much less likely.  In Asa's case, where there was a full resection and no metastasis, those odds are are pretty low.  We do not have to return to clinic for a month.  As long as the blood markers are clear, Asa's port could come out before then.  Pray that we can begin to enjoy normalcy some, a life where all this doesn't own us.

Thanks today for a pleasant visit to med center, if that's possible.  Glad to visit with other patients and see some key docs, visit friends on oncology unit.  And happy our friend, Caroline, wasn't there and is now at home.  Thanks for my dinner cook and shopping helpers and the boys are thankful for Aggies and I got to hear all about it!  Very thankful to hear cousin/brother in law Mark had a clear PET scan and is cancer free!!! Asa was grateful for soda and straws.