It's a Roller Coaster

February has been quite the month - and it's only half over! This month, I've had a lumbar puncture, a CT scan, and five MRIs. I've been to see a neuro-oncologist and a neurosurgeon, in addition to my radiation oncologist and medical oncologist. I've had radiation on my shoulder blade and had the planning session to receive radiation treatments on my eye. And I've had gamma knife surgery on the tumor on my pituitary gland and another one in my brain.

But the call from my oncologist yesterday had positive news. The tumor board has been meeting about my case and are very optimistic that the gamma knife surgery successfully eradicated the tumor on my pituitary. They're also optimistic that the radiation to my eye tumors will be successful in getting rid of those. And the lumbar puncture found only a perfect specimen of fluid that is supposed to be there, nothing cancerous or concerning in any way.

They still believe Xeloda is the best drug for me to try next. It's an oral chemo, so it will have more of the expected chemo side effects, but I shouldn't lose my hair with this one. And it's one of the few drugs currently available that are able to penetrate the brain and treat cancer there. I was able to pick it up at the cancer center pharmacy yesterday and took my first dose last night!

We are so thankful to live close to an excellent cancer center and to have such a wonderful support system. It truly takes a village. Below are some pictures from my various treatments this month. You can get these updates in real time at my new CaringBridge site: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katcare

Gamma knife surgery prep

Ready to go home from the gamma knife surgery!

The mask I had fitted for the radiation treatments to my eye