Thursday, September 3, 2009

Significant Shrinkage!

Let's all do the happy dance!

The preliminary report on today's CT Scan shows "significant shrinkage" in the tumors, which is absolutely the best news that I could have hoped for (short of a miraculous total disappearance of the cancer but let's not get greedy!)

Here are some details from the preliminary report:

  • There are no new nodules in the lungs!

  • The 1.3cm lung nodule shrank to 0.9cm.

  • The 0.9cm lung nodule shrank to .5 cm.

  • The 6mm lung nodule shrank to 2mm. (There are six nodules but they only measured three representative ones.)

  • The mysterious 4cm x 4cm "solid mass" in the pancreas shrank to 3.0cm x 2.5cm!

  • The 4cm tumor in the psoas muscle did NOT shrink. It stayed the same. I am thinking it is so messed up from the Cyber Knife radiation that even this fabulous chemo cannot make it shrink. Oooh, and there are NO new bony abnormalities where the tumor is eating into L4.

Yahoo! Such fabulous news! So we stay the course. I do three more cycles of Gem/Tax, which will take nine weeks. Then we do another scan.

Knowing that there has been significant shrinkage makes it so much easier to get the chemo and laugh at the side effects!

Thanks everyone for all your prayers and good thoughts and comments and email.

I said the rosary every day for the last 15 days asking for help. I also prayed to St. Jude, the patron saint for lost causes, and St. Peregrine, the patron saint for cancer survivors. And of course today I started a novena to thank Jesus and Mary for their help.

Sushi tomorrow night!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Karen, I am THRILLED to hear your good news!! That is simply fantastic, and I could not be happier for you.

You rest up and take good care, and enjoy that sushi tomorrow.

Sweet dreams,
Meredyth

Anonymous said...

WOOOOHOOOO - You're sooooo blessed girlfriend - I'm sooo happy for you - Congrats and keep up the positive attitude - luv ya, alice

Unknown said...

I'm doing the happy dance right now! Congratulations on the shrinkage; this is FABULOUS news!!! Enjoy your sushi!!

Love,
Lisa

Fran said...

Karen, Yea! Good going! I am doing happy dances all over the place. Eat some sushi for me!
Frankie

Anonymous said...

GO KAREN! GO KAREN! GO KAREN!

I AM SO EXCITED THAT YOUR BODY IS HEALING SO WELL!!!!!!!!!

This is awesome news! Perfect long weekend news!

GO RELAX!
Amelia

valerie wenzel said...

PRAISE GOD!!! So happy to hear the great news! Love you and admire your courage. Valerie

Anonymous said...

Great news! You rock! And so do your doctors!

April

Ned Charpentier said...

Awesome! I've been praying for you and have felt a lot of Love coming to you from so many of your friends and family :)

Keep it up we're all so proud of you, Nana's resilience I Love it!

xoxo,
Ned

Peggy said...

Great news and we all need some.
So happy for yours.
Enjoy your sushi, you deserve it.
Take care friend!

Anonymous said...

Thanks be to God! Let's all come together and do the Happy Dance! This is fantastic news. You keep doing what you are doing, and I'll continue to send positive thoughs and prayers your way. The power of prayer is amazing. Hugs, MK