Round and Round we go, the 2nd time is always better than the 1st...right?

Just got off the phone with Dr. Robertson, our Pediatric Oncologist.

They had a 2nd look, with a new team of radiologists, and have now concluded that it is in fact a recurrence of the same cancer, but with massively slow growth.

They believe that it's actually growing off/near the original resection (surgery) site, in the 1-2% of the tumor that was left behind.  They couldn't remove the entire tumor because it was wrapped around a vein, and near the brain stem...and believed that the possible complications of the further resection far outweighed any possible benefits of it.

So, they're going to re-start Chemotherapy on Monday the 16th. The original surgery was on the 14th last year.

The regimen that they're going to use is quite new, and they're hoping to see some good results.  They'll do the oral outpatient + infusion clinic therapy for two months, and then do another scan to see if it is showing any results.  

She said that she has consulted with Dr. Maher, the original surgeon, and he said that the lesions, as they are calling them,  could be removed with surgery.  However, if we removed them right now, we wouldn't know if the chemotherapy was having any effects.

But Dr. Robertson was quite optimistic on several fronts.  The tumor has not spread anywhere, it is recurring near the original site, it is SUPER slow growing, and isn't that big yet.

Not sure if we're numb to the idea, if we are already prepared for the idea, or if this is just one long marathon that we're conditioned for...but we're taking this well.  Maybe we've just been walking on broken glass for so damned long that we're used to the cuts/have tougher feet.  Who knows.  I'll tell you in a few months.

 On a lighter note, here's some pictures from round our world as of late, for the Non-FB types:

Amie is quite the hipster with the Faux-Hawk.  :)

Anya made my parents cards for Grandparents Day.  This was a rough draft of my Dad before she finished his mustache.

This is my Mom and Anya.  :)

This is Anya's getting ready chart in the morning with Mom.  Her illustrations are always amazing to me.  Far better than I could do at 40.

If Anya does really well in the mornings, she wins "Icey Bucks" that she can spend on things.  She chose a movie night, in which our bedroom became Theatre 12.