Good News; Scary News

Good news is always easy to handle - usually. The good news is that Heather's scans this month are again stable. Her tumor is not active and the area around the tumor looks good. The Temador has done its job, which has provided us security. However, Heather's body is starting to react to the chemo. Each month her white cell counts and platelets dip lower. Her October chemo had to be postponed. Therefore, Dr. Chang feels it is time to stop the chemo. WAIT! Stop what is working? To me, that is scary. I told Dr. Chang, "I'm scared to have her stop chemo." Dr. Chang's simple and firm reply: "I'm scared to have her stay on it."

The compromise? Monitor Heather's blood weekly and make the final decision in 4 weeks. Of course, Heather is elated to be finished, and who can blame her. But I love my security blanket. The next step if she is finished with chemo is to continue MRIs and MRSs every 2 months and then slip into every 3 months. What? Another step away from another security? Even Dr. Chang doesn't like losing that security, but eventually it is what we want - I guess. It means good news, not bad. But it is scary.

Interestingly, we again met someone by chance who knows about brain cancer and Dr. Chang. We were looking for the vision clinic for a future appointment for my brother-in-law (which is another scary situation) and we (my sister and Heather and I) were somewhat lost at UCSF. We finally found the ocular-oncologist's office but could not find our way out. We bumped into a nice woman who helped us out of the maze. As we were walking, she asked the usual questions and found out we had originally seen Dr. Chang. She shared with us that Dr. Chang kept her husband alive for 17 years with Anaplastic Astrocytoma. I did not ask when her husband died, but I did hear "alive for 17 years"! In 17 more years, I firmly believe there will be a cure and Heather will be BEAT this ugly monster!

Speaking of "monster," we are prepping for the 2nd annual Monster Bash. We are so pleased to have Old Chicago (Rock Bottom in some areas of the country) host this event and to have Chasing Daylight provide the live entertainment. Thursday, October 29 will be a big night for Leap-for-a-Cure. I will certainly be writing about it next blog. If you are interested in attending, just go to the "events" tab on our website for more information.

Our church - Hope Presbyterian - will be having a special cancer service on Sunday, October 18. We were honored that Pastor Dave asked for our input. I know the services will focus on hope and miracle, which is exactly what cancer patients and the families need.

This summer Dr. Chang has agreed to come to Omaha for a conference. She will be presenting to two different audiences: one for doctors and one for lay people. I will be working with Methodist Hospital and Estabrook Cancer Center for this BIG event! More on that later. But what brought a gulp and some tears was when Dr. Chang asked that we schedule it around Heather's wedding so that she can attend the wedding. If I could only begin to share my gratitude to and admiration for Dr. Chang . . . I will NEVER forget her and will ALWAYS admire her conviction to curing / treating brain cancer.

Until next entry, I wish everyone health and happiness. Today, I leave you with a poem that is fitting for all who have been diagnosed with cancer:

Cancer is so limited.
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot destroy peace.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot suppress memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot steal eternal life.
It cannot conquer the spirit.

What chance does cancer have with so many limitations?