The New Plan

Missy had her appointment at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, MD this past Friday and unfortunately things did not go as planned. The doctors informed her that there has been new growth from the tumor in her brain. This new growth is located in the region between the left and right lobes of her brain. The neuro-surgeon Missy spoke with at the NCI believes he can remove 90 to 95% of this tumor. As far as I have heard, the radiation treatment worked well, but the area that was not radiated is where the new growth has occurred. The purpose of the chemotherapy Missy was taking on a daily basis during her radiation treatment to prevent this was ineffective.

Nobody in our family expected this news. I think we were all expecting the doctors to say the treatment went well and Missy will begin her chemotherapy maintenance as soon as possible. We thought the follow-up's main purpose was to set a new baseline and from now on we would be comparing new cancer growth with each new MRI. We assumed she was basically finished with treatments, but instead we find ourselves starting over from the beginning. Preparing for brain surgery...again. Still, she feels extremely blessed. We know we can't take this cancer away, but she's in amazingly capable hands. At least the tumor is operable. After the surgeon removes this tumor, hopefully with a new chemotherapy treatment in place she will be on the road to recovery. We will continue to fight from this point forward. Each new piece of information is vital to this fight, so we take this information, embrace it, and use it against this horrible disease.

We know more than we knew last week, and in it's own way that is a blessing. We know why Missy has been feeling worse and not better over the last few weeks. We know why her headaches are back, why her emotions have been all over the place, and why she has been so nauseous. We know that this new growth is here, and although disappointing, that knowledge is so important. You can't fight what you don't know.

Surgery is scheduled for Friday morning in Bethesda, MD. Mom and Missy will be flying up on Wednesday. Dad, Boo and I will be making our way to DC on Thursday. Please pray for good weather and easy travel for us. A storm is heading for the Bethesda/DC area right in that time frame, and we do not want to be delayed. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do. Your donations have helped allow Missy to take this time off work without the stress of how to get her bills paid. She is able to focus on fighting, and that is the most important thing. Your support has meant the world to us and we just wanted to continue to say thank you.

Update

Sorry I haven't updated you all on the last post! Time just seems to have gotten away from me. Missy is doing much better since her seizures on Monday, but she is still very tired and sore. She went to the doctor this week and they let her know that seizures are very normal after things like brain surgery and radiation. They put her on anti-seizure medications which she will remain on from now on. They said she will not have any long term damage from the seizures, and that now that she is on medications they should stop happening, so that is great. They also said that the seizures are not a sign that anything else is wrong, rather just a side effect of what has already happened. This was great news.

Next Thursday Missy will be heading back to to the DC area to meet with her Oncologist and have her follow up MRI. Hopefully it will show that all the radiation and chemotherapy did their job and that the cancer is under control! Good thoughts and prayers are appreciated as her and my mom fly up for the visit. I will update here again after we know her results. Thank you all once again for all of your prayers and support during this difficult time.

Set Back

I know several people from Missy's work check in with this blog for updates on her treatment and how she is feeling, and I thought you all may be worried after her day at work yesterday and would want an update. While at work, Missy had a seizure. She was walking down the hall and all of a sudden she was on the ground. A coworker found her and they immediately took her to the ER. My parents met her there and they gave her medication to help prevent the seizures and something for nausea. Unfortunately she still went into another seizure there at the ER. They are thinking it could have been the anti-nausea medication that triggered this second one. After several hours in the ER she was discharged home with new anti-seizure medications and an appointment to see her doctor today.

They did preform a CT scan at the ER and said everything looked good, so that was good to hear. I am not sure if they will do an MRI today or not. She heads back up to the National Cancer Institute next weekend so they may wait until she is up there. According to the doctors who saw her in the ER, seizures are very normal for a person who has had brain surgery. They apparently were a little surprised this hasn't happened to her before now. We are hoping to be able to regulate this with medication and for her to be perfectly normal and live seizure free. For now she isn't able to drive for the next 90 days while we get everything worked out.

Yesterday was very scary for everyone, especially Missy. We all felt like the hardest time was behind us after getting through surgery and her intense treatments, but now we have a new set back. All of your prayers and good thoughts for Missy are so appreciated during this time while we work out her newest complication. A special thank you to all of her co-workers who were there for her and got her to the ER while we were on our way. We are so thankful to you all and all you have done and continue to do for our sweet Melissa.

DONE!

Missy finished her last radiation treatment today! She also took her last chemo pill for the next month, and to say she is relieved to be finished is a huge understatement. This process has been emotionally and physically draining on her, and she is just so happy to have it behind her. She is now planning on taking it easy and trying to start feeling like herself again over the next few days and weeks. At the end of the month she will travel back to the National Cancer Institute for her follow up MRI and we will then know how well the treatments worked. For now we are just so proud of her and ready for her to start feeling better!

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support during the holidays and the new year. She appreciates each and every one of you.