New unexpected news

February 18, 2011

This will be a short update as I am very tired after a long emotionally and physically draining day at the hospital with Josie.  The day started with a 9am appointment at the Heme/Onc clinic where they checked Josie’s blood counts to see if she needed any transfusions.  She didn’t end up needing a transfusion, but had she needed one, she would have needed it before her surgery to replace her broviac at 2:30pm, thus why we needed an early appointment.

The Broviac replacement surgery went much longer than expected and they ran into a few complications as Josie has an occluded vein in the right side of her chest.  They ended up putting it into a different vein than they usually use, but were able to get it in.  I left the hospital for the day at 5pm. 

After her blood counts came back, Josie’s primary Oncologist came to speak with me.  Earlier in the week Josie had an MRI and the phone call we received from the Oncologist at that time was that he was encouraged and saw some shrinkage in the tumor.  He told us that the Neuro-Surgeon still needed to review it and that her case would go to Tumor Board on Friday.  We were also encouraged at that time.  This time though when I talked to the Oncologist, it was a bit different story.   The tumor has shrunk on the right side of her brain, so that is evidence that the chemo has been working.  Then he told me that a different part of the tumor has started growing into the left side of her brain.  I was completely caught off guard by this news.  As I tried to wrap myself around this info, the oncologist immediately said we should go take a look at the MRI so that I could see what he was explaining to me.  He pulled up the last MRI and the one done earlier this week and with my untrained eyes for reading such images, I could even see the growth on the left side of her brain. 

The plan at this point is to change Josie’s chemotherapy treatment plan.  She will be receiving a very potent regimen of 2 new drugs.  This treatment plan is all outpatient, so we will have 2-3 appointments a week at the Heme/Onc clinic, but will not need to stay at the hospital.  Josie will have 2 rounds of this chemotherapy and then they will do another MRI. 

We are still whirling from this news – it was not what we were hoping for, but know that God is not surprised and still has our lil’ Jo in His hands. 

Still on our knees,

Marc & Darcia