The best bad news we could have received

We had our appointment today with our oncologist to discuss the results of the tests done, as well as the pathology on the tumor removed from her back. We were immediately told that the bone marrow test came back negative, meaning that the cancer has not spread to the bone marrow. Praise God! Also, the initial pathology came back on the tumor and it is a kind of tumor called a Ganglioneuroblastoma, which is an intermediate tumor arising from nerve tissue. As our oncologist described, a ganglioneuroblastoma may be localized to one area or it may be widespread, but it is usually less aggressive than a neuroblastoma. It is most likely this tumor is mature and non-aggressive, as opposed to the immature, aggressive tumor that looks to duplicate itself. This was the best kind of bad news we could have received! Of all the kinds of tumors it could be, it looks like this one isn't the "mean kind" (as our doctor calls it).

Tomorrow is the first day of the MIGB scan. Sarah will be injected with radioactive isotopes tomorrow, and then have the scan on Friday that tracks them throughout her body to definitively determine if there are any other cancerous areas, or any cancerous cells left over from where the tumor was originally. She then has a bone scan next week.

Treatment for the Ataxia will most likely involve chemo and steroids. Our prayer is that this will not be needed. Over the next 3 weeks, the doctors will be looking to see if her body is responding in a good way to the tumor being gone. Her body getting better on her own won’t happen for a couple weeks, so we are in the waiting pattern now, praying she gets better on her own. If she does show signs of getting better on her own, then we may possibly avoid chemo. This is our hope.

Thanks again, for your prayers. We need them everyday, and we feel them everyday. We are grateful.