As Hopeful As We Get

I ran non-stop today from 11 AM til present trying to get information to the correct people and make phone calls to those that are supposed to be on top of things. (I say supposed because I've never yet seen it actually happen.) Anyway, after the crazy day, I have the results of my last MRI.

Before I go too far I need to give a little background information. When you have radiation, it kills cells. (Hopefully cancer cells.) Eventually the brain will clean itself up after radiation has completed but it can take a while for this natural process to complete. Cells that are present but dead are called Necrosis. In the case of radiation, it's called Radiation Necrosis. It is not uncommon for radiation necrosis to show itself in MRIs during the first year.

With that said, the results of the MRI were for the most part hopeful. There was a 4X2X4 cm lesion found as well as three smaller areas of enhancement near the tumor bed. (Where they removed my original tumor.) The report stated it could be either radiation necrosis or tumor regrowth. Based the timing of the MRI and the knowledge we have of these things, there is a VERY good chance it is simply Necrosis.

This isn't just me talking. I had the opportunity to speak with my Radiation Oncologist this afternoon and he seemed to feel the odds are great it is necrosis. He basically said that if it was tumor that grew that large that quickly, I wouldn't have been walking in there to hand him the result.

So, for the most part, our prayers have been answered. I haven't talked to my NeuroSurgeon yet but the chances are there will be another MRI in 4-6 weeks to determine what the lesions do.

There's my update for the day. *huggles*