No News... Then So-So News

This is what Michael's dose of chemotherapy looked like tonight. 20 pills taken all at once that will work over a six week period. He takes them like a champ!


MARCH 21, 2015

We didn't hear good news today despite the fact Michael is stable and is better symptom-wise than a month ago. We've expedited MRI scans to our neuro-oncologist for a second opinion. The NIH team can't review scans until next Wednesday so we're on hold for treatments until then. Please pray the area is pseudo progression related to radiation and the stroke instead of disease progression reported by radiologist today. 
“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” -Isaiah 41:13

MARCH 30, 2015
So, we finally heard a definitive explanation of his March 20th MRI when Dr. Gilbert called from NIH this afternoon: "The scan looks bad with a significant amount of swelling including his brainstem." It's hard to listen to much after you hear that. But, then he asked how Michael is doing and how often he's awake.

In many ways he's better than when we made the trip to see Dr. Gilbert in Bethesda the first week of February. The MRI is never certain whether the contrast areas that "glow" is progression or pseudo-progression related to damage from treatment. He explained if the scan they're looking at is true progression it appears bad enough that Michael should be bedridden and sleeping most of the time. He's not. In fact, his schedule is fairly regular with a few good naps thrown in.

His expressive aphasia is worse, can't move his right arm at all now, and his right leg is weaker - but he's awake a lot more and rarely ever in pain. So as mixed up as it sounds - we're taking this as a good report. 

Pray this round starts off smoother than the last one that landed him in the hospital. Pray the chemo continues to work and his swelling decreases. Pray that our quality of time together increases.