OK....I had some trouble with my account not allowing me to sign in but, obviously, it's fixed now.
On Friday July 24th, I was at work when I had an extreme dizzy spell that almost caused me to fall to the ground, followed by nausea and a spinning sensation. It continued to worsen as the day progressed. I grew more and more concerned until I eventually called my Doctor's office to inform them of my symptoms. After carefully examining them, it was decided that I may possibly be having minor seizures. I contacted my sister who then called my parent's and they came and drove me home from work when I got off. These sensations continued throughout the weekend as I struggled to make it through my shifts. On Monday I again called the Doctor's office and informed them that it was still happening. They decided to schedule me for an EEG for the following Wednesday (an EGG measures brain waves and brain function to see if interruptions are being caused by any abnormalities). I went in for the EGG and was told that I would get the results the following day at my July 30th appointment.
So now that bring us to the long awaited July 30th! The day I've been so anxiously waiting for, and the day that could change everything. My Parents had to leave for England on the 29th so my Sister, Aunt Karen, and Sean went with me for emotional support and to help relay the message to Mom and Dad.
Dr. Fink and her colleagues reviewed all of the data and determined that the MRI scans from all of the different months were not all exactly at the same level (slices). Basically, the tumor had NOT grown, just remained the same! Now the question is, did the chemo keep it from growing or has the tumor stabilized itself? We decided the best plan of action right now is to not proceed with the radiation or the chemo. We are going to monitor the tumor by doing MRI's with profusion every 2 months. If it begins to grow without treatment, then we must react! I'm so excited that for the first time since May of 08 I may have the chance to feel somewhat "normal" again, or at least have a higher energy level.
As far as the seizures and the EGG......there were no signs of recent seizures. Dr. Fink believes the symptoms were actually brought on by Vertigo, something I've never had before, but is treatable.
All in all I am quite pleased with the outcome and even though I know it's nowhere near over, this was one huge hurdle that I've made it through. For me, this was the "best case scenario" for this situation. Now its on to the next one!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
July 09 MRI results
It has been too long since my last entry and I appologize for the vast delay, I've been dealing with alot of emotion battles and fighting a deep depression. I know that for several of you this blog is the only means you have to keep yourself updated on current events and status changes and I feel horrible that I stopped trying to update it on a regular basis. With that said, here is the latest news.
Over the past few months the tumor, which showed slight signs of shrinking, had stopped doing so and maintained it's size. These factors led to my Doctor's concerns that we needed to possibly consider alternate treatment options. I had an MRI on July 8th, following round 11 of Chemo, to see if the treatments were making a difference. The results of this MRI are very prelimenary but very discouraging. The tumor, much to our surprise, appears to have grown. Dr. Fink decided that we may be doing more harm than good to my body and cancelled all future Chemo treatments. Over the next two weeks she will be taking these images to her colleagues (The Tumor Board) to, again, obtain a collective decision on what the next step should be. I have another appt on July 30th to discuss radiation treatments and to hear what specific treatment plan they have designed for me and my case. She wants me to begin soon and it would take six weeks to complete, Mon-Fri, at the Baylor facility in downtown Dallas. She also mentioned that the chances of me having seizures would be elevated once we stopped the chemo process. The most disturbing bit of info that she had for me, and again this very preliminary, is that the point of the Chemo was to shrink, and ultimately dissolve the tumor......since that didn't work, the radiation's main objective would be to "extend my survival time"....radiation is not a cure, it merely slows the progression and intensity of the tumor. At this point it is highly probable that I will have to take a leave of absence from work for these treatments as I will not be able to drive myself the 25 miles or so to Dallas everyday, then be strong enough to deal with the day to day duties of my job. Jennifer, my sister, and I are taking steps to get all of the appropriate paperwork in order to be prepared for the "worst case" scenario. Not to be fatalistic....just prepared for anything.
I will do my best to update this blog after the July 30th appt and not let so much time pass between entries. I will be giving all of my access information to my Sister and my Father in the event that I am unable to maitain it myself. As always, I want to say thank you to everyone who has shown their support and especially to my family whom, without them, I could have never made it this far. You all mean so much to me and keep me going, for that I could never repay you. I love you all!
Over the past few months the tumor, which showed slight signs of shrinking, had stopped doing so and maintained it's size. These factors led to my Doctor's concerns that we needed to possibly consider alternate treatment options. I had an MRI on July 8th, following round 11 of Chemo, to see if the treatments were making a difference. The results of this MRI are very prelimenary but very discouraging. The tumor, much to our surprise, appears to have grown. Dr. Fink decided that we may be doing more harm than good to my body and cancelled all future Chemo treatments. Over the next two weeks she will be taking these images to her colleagues (The Tumor Board) to, again, obtain a collective decision on what the next step should be. I have another appt on July 30th to discuss radiation treatments and to hear what specific treatment plan they have designed for me and my case. She wants me to begin soon and it would take six weeks to complete, Mon-Fri, at the Baylor facility in downtown Dallas. She also mentioned that the chances of me having seizures would be elevated once we stopped the chemo process. The most disturbing bit of info that she had for me, and again this very preliminary, is that the point of the Chemo was to shrink, and ultimately dissolve the tumor......since that didn't work, the radiation's main objective would be to "extend my survival time"....radiation is not a cure, it merely slows the progression and intensity of the tumor. At this point it is highly probable that I will have to take a leave of absence from work for these treatments as I will not be able to drive myself the 25 miles or so to Dallas everyday, then be strong enough to deal with the day to day duties of my job. Jennifer, my sister, and I are taking steps to get all of the appropriate paperwork in order to be prepared for the "worst case" scenario. Not to be fatalistic....just prepared for anything.
I will do my best to update this blog after the July 30th appt and not let so much time pass between entries. I will be giving all of my access information to my Sister and my Father in the event that I am unable to maitain it myself. As always, I want to say thank you to everyone who has shown their support and especially to my family whom, without them, I could have never made it this far. You all mean so much to me and keep me going, for that I could never repay you. I love you all!
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