More of the same...

We are almost two weeks since Mom's first chemo treatment. We decided to stay with Emory for the first round and revisit MD Anderson after the restaging. For those who don't know, there are new staging guidelines that made her a stage IVa when they originally staged her at a IIIb. They reassure us that this is really not a difference in her condition, but a difference in what they call it.

She is not eligible for radiation b/c she has a pleural effusion. So we are using a chemo duet of Carboplatim and Alimta. It is common to also include Avastin, but it had additional risks and the doctors also wanted to keep her eligible for the Pfizer gene therapy clinical trial.

In the meantime, Mom is having some trouble with confusion. We are taking turns caring for her until we figure out the source of her confusion.

Overall, things are going as well as can be expected. She is comfortable and in good spirits. The chemo was a piece of cake and under an hour. She will have one more treatment then a scan for restaging. She is seeing a couple of other doctors to further investigate the issue of confusion. She has kept her hair so far and will know better after next Wed. if she will be lucky enough to hang onto it.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

No Bone Mets

There was a discrepancy on the PET scan regarding the presence of a bone met. The radiologist confirmed that he was of the opinion that the spot was activity in the muscle and not a bone met. This is incredibly good news and puts us on the path to move forward.

Laurel's Family's Latest

During my journey, I realized that blogging was a great way to keep everyone informed of my progress. In an effort to update you all on my mother, I will continue my blog. If she is interested, we may move to a caring bridge site. My Aunt keeps her own blog and I will post her link in a future post.

I'll spare the stories and the drama and stick to just the facts. It started with Aunt Carol (my mother's sister for those who don't know her)...the diagnosis date is now a blur....within the year. She has been diagnosed with CLL a rare leukemia/lymphoma mix. She is on a three month PET scan schedule to monitor. Fortunately, she does not currently need treatment.

My mother, as of today, has been officially diagnosed with Stage III lung cancer which is inoperable. Typical treatment includes chemo and radiation. We are anticipating some additional clarification for the PET scan results that would change the staging. This is a very serious diagnosis but potentially more manageable than we initially feared.

For those looking for an update on me, I still technically have a positive PET with an SUV of 3. My doctors feel comfortable moving forward without anymore PET scans unless symptoms develop. They are also confident that at the 5 year mark we will call me cured and this time could (in retrospect) be considered remission.

First Time Blogging

OK, here goes my first blog entry. Thank you Jon for getting me set up!!!

My most important message is to thank everyone for their calls, cards, flowers, food, prayers and support. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful support system! It has really given us strength.

Mickey has just sent out an email with an update, so there isn't much new here yet.

This first blog is just a test drive to see if I can keep up with the real world of technology :)