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6/29/2016

Scans: An update on how treatment is going

When we found out Natalie had cancer back in August 2015, it had spread throughout her abdomen so much that one of the Drs at St Jude commented that he was amazed she was able to walk comfortably. I think back to those days often because it reminds me how far she's come. Progress for Natalie never shocks me. Shes always been a "defy the odds" kind of girl. She's always been brave because she's always had to be.

Thursday last week she had both a CT scan and an MRI done to check the progress of her cancer treatment. All of the main masses that they could find during surgery were removed in February and so having had chemotherapy even after that we were hoping she would get NED (no evidence of disease) status today when I sat down with the Drs to review the findings.

Sadly, that was not the case.

Natalie still had what looks like a tiny little spot that's "lighting up" in her lower left side. Its very small and there's a chance its not even cancer but a cluster of tissue or any number of other things. But, since we cant just go in and see, we have to assume its cancer.

Her doctors were extremely excited. But, I just felt sick. I still feel sick. Mike couldn't be there because hes back home working so, it was just me.
Alone.
Trying to be brave for Natalie.
Her doctor pulled up a side by side for me because he didn't think I was excited enough. Seeing the difference in her scans now vs her scans when we started definitely made me feel better. But, the cancer is still there.

Here is a photo of the side by side CT scans.



The left is the recent one. The small little greyish green x is the tiny little cancer spot. The right huge X is just ONE of the many tumors that had taken over her abdomen.
To someone like myself who cannot "read" imaging very well, the one on the right LOOKS clearer but, that's just because the tumors were blocking all the organs and bowels (etc.) from view. Some were even sort or squished to the sides because the tumors had claimed the space as their own.
The difference is astonishing...
For over 10 months its felt like Natalie has been under attack. As a parent that's extremely hard to just accept and live with while waiting for something to change...

Her body is still under attack.

So we continue to fight.

We continue to pray.

We just continue on because.... what else can we do?

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