The Results Are In...

I finally heard from my doctors in Boston yesterday. I'm sorry it took so long to post something, but we are still playing a little catch-up from the weekend. You'll all be happy to know that I have finished my last load of laundry and will get it folded tonight. Unfortunately we are still wearing clothes so it starts all over again. Anyway, back to the important stuff, the short explanation to what the doctor said is that he was happy with what he saw on the scans. Here's the longer explanation. The tumor on my liver that was 3 inches x 3 inches in March and 1 1/2 inches x 1 1/2 inches in July (he chalked up most of that shrinkage to blood draining away from where the tumor had been) is now 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch. He is still not sure if the tumor is still losing blood that it had seeped making it appear smaller or if the tumor itself is shrinking. Either way it's good news because it is not growing. The other tumor in my liver that was 1/2 x 1/2 inch looks somewhat smaller, although not significantly, but it isn't any bigger. What they thought was a tumor on my spleen is looking less like a tumor and they are unsure of what it is. It could be scar tissue or a bowel loop or some other words that I can't spell much less remember. The "spot" on my lungs is still unknown. It hasn't gotten any bigger or smaller and they still don't know what that is. He mentioned a few more words that I don't remember that it could be, but they are not too concerned about it unless it starts to grow or change, which it hasn't. This is all very good news. I will continue taking Gleevec for 3 more months at the dosage I am currently taking and will do another CT scan and MRI in three months. He talked some about staying on Gleevec for the rest of my life to keep new cells from forming and keeping the tumors that are already there in check. They are very good at making patients feel important and cared about. When he was asking about my side affects and I explained them to him, he said, "I wish there was some way for you not to have any side affects." I was just struck at his empathy. However, I feel like if the Gleevec is working then all the other stuff is just something I can learn to deal with. I just need to redefine what "normal" is for me. Maybe it's something akin to what people suffering from MS go through. They just have to readjust they way they define "good" and "bad" days. Who can really say what "normal" is in the first place?

Thank you so much for your prayers! I know they have made a difference and I ask that you continue to pray for my family and my marriage as we learn to deal with this and a life on chemotherapy.