Radiation! Steve’s case has been taken to the tumor board meeting with his two oncologist and surgeon and the decision has been made that Steve will receive 18 rounds of radiation. Radiation will be every weekday starting this Thursday until April 9th. Yesterday Steve was mapped for radiation and they let me come back and watch and WOW it is quite the process. First you are in a large room with a huge CT scan and they have him lay on the table that moves through the CT scan. Next they make a neck and face mold of him then they use it to secure his head to the table so he can’t move. After that they tie his feet together so he doesn’t accidently move them during the procedure (like trying to cross at the ankles). Then there are lasers coming out of the wall and they use them and the CT image to make tattoos on his body so each time he comes into radiation they line him up in the exact spot to ensure they are only radiating the areas he had lymphoma.
Steve and I are still shocked at the results that we still find ourselves questioning it. It’s not that we aren’t excited and so ready to move on but how do you go from hearing that it is spreading and growing to we could not detect any cancer in the biopsies. Since we have found out the results we have met with both oncologist and the surgeon and to be honest they all are a little surprised with the results also. One of the oncologists even said after she read the biopsy she called the surgeon to make sure it was correct then even checked it the next day again to make sure she wasn’t making a mistake. So with them being surprised we have asked them several times could there be a mistake. And the answer we have received is yes that the PET scans are not perfect and that is why there is a range and anything above a 3 or 4 they usually suspect it is malignancy and with Steve’s metabolic uptake being a 4.6 it was concerning but just as they stated everyone’s body is different and the 3 and 4 range are just guidelines but not hard steady results. Then we asked what are the chances that Steve will relapse after receiving radiation and she stated that after receiving ABVD chemo and having a good response (which the biopsy confirmed it to be good) and then receiving 18 rounds of chemo and based on his original diagnoses and stage (IIB) he was at he has a 10-15 percent chances of relapse. Really what we want to hear is you are cured and you will never have to deal with this again. But hearing he only has a 10-15 percent chance of relapse is good and we are super excited to be almost done and ready to move on. Another good sign is the surgeon has signed be off and Steve no longer has to follow up with him and we don’t have to see the medical oncologist for another 3 months. YEAH!
Last I want to personally thank the Ward family and Jamie Horton. Barbara Ward has sent our family a card every week that Steve has had treatment to wish us well and to let us know she was thinking of us. Barbara has sent such fun cards even that included stickers for the boys and they have loved receiving these cards. Then Barbara’s daughter Mary Ann Ward is a marathon coach for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and she is currently training Jamie Horton who sent us a very inspiration email. Because of what Mary Ann and Jamie do they are helping the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help find more efficient ways to treat and cure blood cancers. Check out their websites: http://www.teamintraining.org/ and http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/vancouvr12/jhorton9ql
Thank you everyone again for all you support we really have some amazing family members and friends!
Here’s to 5 years of remission then CURED!
Angie W
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