Good News!!!

[LoraW30]

I mentioned on my thread in heart talk that my 16yo step-daughter has been fighting cancer this winter. She had an appointment in LR for a three day chemo treatment on the 9th. To our surprise, she came back from having her vitals checked saying she wasn't scheduled to be admitted and her chemo was over!!!
Well, this of course had all of us confustered since we knew she still had another month and a 1/2 of treatment.

After the doctor looked at her chest CT for that day, he found that the once grapefruitsize masses were no more than thumbnail size and the only way to know if the cancer was gone was to have surgery that would entail cracking open her ribs. He didn't want to do that. Whew!!!!! He said more than likely it was scar tissue. Yay!!!!!!

On to radiation treatments. We're still waiting to find out when and how long.

It really lightened up our day.

Lora

 

[Nancy]

Oh Lora-

I'm so happy to hear that. Congratulations all around. Sometimes there is a miracle.

 

[Abbanabba]

What wonderful news!!

 

[Heather Fisher]

Wow! That's great! Every once in awhile life gives a little something unexpected.

Heather

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Great News Lora!

One cautionary note: Be sure to ask her Radiologist about Long Term Effects from the radiation.

There are at least 3 Hodgkins Disease survivors here on VR.com who had radiation to the chest which may or may not have precipitated deterioration of our Heart Valves 20 to 30 years after the radiation. Others have reported Coronary Artery Disease possibly caused by scaring of the Coronary Arteries by the radiation. Your daughter may want to be followed by a Cardiologist later in life to nip any possible developments in the bud.

'AL'

 

[Karlynn]

It's a good start to my day to hear such wonderful news. You all have to be floating a bit above the ground right now.

 

[LoraW30]

Thank you everyone for the warmth. We are very happy that she finished with chemo. That kind of therapy is never easy for anyone. She's had a great attitude from the beginning and I believe that is half the battle.


Al,

Thank you for that bit of advice. Her doctor ordered an echo before she started treatments so he would have a record to compare with later. When we get with the radiologist her mother, father, and I will have plenty of questions. Her Nana as well.

Lora

 

[ALCapshaw2]

It sounds like she in in 'good hands'. It would be a good idea for her to get a copy of the Echo (and all subsequent ones) which I believe can be recorded on a CD Rom, for future reference. Radiation damage seems to take a couple of decades to become significant.

Fare Well,

'AL'

 

[bvdr]

That is wonderful, Lora! What Al says is true. The best part of it though is that if the radiation hadn't been so effective, the long term effects wouldn't have even shown up. I was one who had some radiation to my chest when I was 14.