Tempered by Reality...

We saw Dr. Beck this morning. She was amazed at the PET scan results, but asked what that means since we don't have a baseline (or beginning) scan with which to compare Monday's scan. She asked a good question, like does this kind of tumor usually take up the FDG isotope Shayla was injected with for the PET? I told her that's what we wanted her to tell us, but it seems Dr. Chang's expertise is needed to answer this. Since we didn't get a baseline PET done, we can't tell where we were to see clearly where we are now. Isn't that the biggest 'bummer'?

Yesterday I was thinking that since the tumor is dead, we won't have to do radiation, right? WRONG. Dr. Beck said we will either have to do surgery or radiation. For her part (the surgery recommendation), she wants Dr. Churney's (neurosurgery) input. However, since the tumor is so close to the Curbiform plate (the brow area between the eyes), Dr. Beck is thinking surgery would not be the best option for Shayla since that area is where the personality part of our brain is. Dr. Beck is consulting with a Dr. Meritet (sp?) in Michigan and may include a specialist in Sweden as well. However, she warned against getting too many opinions ( a gazillion would be too many) because then we would have that many choices to consider.

If Radiation, then what? Then we would have to work with Dr. Chang and the Radiology Oncologist to map out a course of action. Dr. Chang has discussed the Radiologist's opinion that Shayla go to Boston, MASS to receive Proton Beam Therapy. I will give more details on that if the decision is made it is in Shayla's best interest. Let it suffice for now to say that it would mean a move to Boston for 6 weeks of daily radiation therapy treatment. Anyone know what Boston is like in June? Yes, it would be that soon.

Shayla was my practical voice yesterday when I told her the news of the PET scan results. When I asked what she thought she said it was great, 'but I still have a long way to go, Mom."

A long way to go!