Good News at Last!

I was back at MD Anderson for a follow-up MRI yesterday. My brain is still stable. No new activity! Hoorah!!

I've been off of chemo and any other medicines that cross the brain/blood barrier for 4 months now on the clinical trial drug. I didn't think there would be anything in my brain (empty brain jokes please) but it's still pretty nerve wracking waiting for the results.

Same old spot on the brain is just sitting there. No swelling (swelling is a sign of live tumor) and not much dye intake (another sign of active tumor) so the doctor is guessing that it is still dead tissue from the original brain radiation. Will get another MRI in 3 months to check on it again, because you just don't want to mess with things that might pop up in your brain.

One of the most encouraging things the doctor said was that no matter how far away the other cancer is in your body, if it's growing, there is a good chance activity will show up in the brain as well. So, he was hopeful that this was a good sign the trial drug is doing it's job. Dr. Bobustic is just wonderful and he has been very encouraged by my scan results and he was quite enthusiastic about the clinical drug I am on and the data that is out on it.

Great appointment over all.

I went by the ol' chemo floor and said hello to the front desk gals. Elaine says she saw my news interview on tv but she knows the truth that I am not that serious. Ha! Went by Dr. Shah's office to say hello and give some feedback on Tampa.

There was one pretty awesome random act of kindness. There is a woman named Miriam that is very helpful when I have to schedule my brain MRI's. Well, the other ladies always give me a hard time when I want to schedule the MRI and the doctor's appointment for results on the same day, which is what Dr. Bobustic has always told me to do. But it's easier to spread it out so I have to tell certain people that I would like the appointments back to back. And their response, well I don't know if I can do that.... then I assure them they can do it and thank them for the extra effort. Miriam, however, always offers to do it right off the bat. We love her. So, anytime we walk through that hallway at MDA, I always go by her desk and say hello to Miriam.

Well, apparently she has been looking for me for a few months because she bought me the cutest hat. She was so happy to see us yesterday and ran around the desk with the hat. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. She just said I was always so nice and she was keeping it at her desk in case I walked by and there I was. How do you like that for random act of kindness?!

People are good.

Keep praying, friends. It's working. CT results on Jan. 7 will tell us how the clinical trial drug is doing. Pray Pray Pray!

Love you all!

Laura