New Treatments....New Success

Hello out there!!

As I ended my previous post....it was time to be scanned.  This is never a time for cheers, always nerves.  Not the nerves that would come over you in front of a large room, these nerves are deep, a deciding factor in your future.  Each scan means more and more.  I used to not think about scan day much; but the more I go through the more they matter.  I have not met anyone going through Ewing's Sarcoma that has metastasized live more then 6 years.  I know this is not a pleasant thought....but it never escapes my mind for long. 

The fact that it was almost 5 months since my lung surgeries, this scan would be an indicator of what we were dealing with.  The scan showed there was a small tumor right near  the scar tissue of my partial lung removal.  This was frustrating because when originally planning the surgery the doctors were going to remove the entire upper lobe, but recent scans made them think they could get away with only removing part of the lobe.  I can't blame them, it is always better to remove less....especially in the lungs.  So now the question is, what do we do about it?  The doctors decided that in order to get me back to school we would put me on a low dose of oral chemo until we decided what to treat the tumor with.  There were no side effects of this pill and it was a great solution, but would not be enough to get rid of the tumor.

We knew about this cyber knife radiation at Georgetown Hospital, but weren't sure my left lung could receive anymore radiation.  The doctors at Georgetown said that they would definately do it.  I was so excited because my tumors respond really well to radiation.  Because so little healthy tissue is effected with this type of treatment it was a great find!!  I got the radiation in October and did not feel any side effects at all.  I was a little more tired but it is always hard to tell if it is the pain from my hip, the oral chemo, radiation, or living each day like a normal person.  The radiation was completed over 1 week, one session a day.  This machine was the coolest thing.  It adjusted itself to my breathing and attacked the tumor from over 300 angles.  Amazing really!!

I returned to school for my second semester in graduate school.  It was volleyball season and we could not be better this year!! The girls have done so well and it is a pleasure coaching them.  Hard to think this would be my last year with them!!  I have been around Frostburg Volleyball for so long now, I don't know what I will do with all my time in the Fall.  I guess I will have to find my own team.

A major milestone took place this Fall.   Dan and I moved in together!!!!  We decided that since he did not know what he would be doing, job wise, after the fall semester, it would be silly to commit to a year lease.  People told us all the cautions and things to be prepared for.  I think once you have dated someone for 5 years, you should be pretty familiar with their habits and little quirks.  Dan and me and no exception.  Living together with him for this semester was HEAVEN!!!! I could not imagine anything more perfect.  I got to see him every morning and every night.  We would have dinner together and go shopping together...things a typical couple does.  I really can't think of anything else to say about it. 

Time went on as usual, and it was getting to be time for the holidays.  We would wait until it was almost 5 weeks after radiation to see what was going on with my lungs, though my body will still make progress up to 6 months after radiation. 

I don't think anything could have prepared me for the months to come.  I will have to make it another post in order to not overwhelm you with reading.