Today we had a consult with the head of Neuro Oncology at the Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute  at Northwestern Hospital in downtown Chicago. The doctor was very confident, knowledgeable, and caring, and spent over an hour with us. He was not concerned about the latest MRI image and was going to share with the broader neuro oncology team later this week to get additional opinions. Our favorite line of the day was: "We treat patients, not x-rays." He is also going to do some additional sequence and genome testing on Jay's tumor (the part they removed).  At this time, the doctor said the tumor has not progressed to the point of needing a clinical trial.

We have another meeting scheduled in two weeks to hear the outcome of the broader Northwestern team meeting and the tumor testing. Then, this team will map out a game plan moving forward. He also shared that Jay will only need one more round of chemo (6 total) vs the 12 we were planning on.  Woo hoo! It was fascinating to hear him talk about the cultural differences between European and American doctors. The doctor said, "You Americans always think bigger is better, but 6 rounds of chemo does the same job as 12 rounds!" Jay continues to experience extreme fatigue, but the doctors believe it has more to do with his thryoid and less to do with the effects of the chemo. They are monitoring his thyroid levels closely and adjusting meds as needed.

We had a wonderful weekend as we celebrated Aaron and Emily's wedding with the extended family. So much fun to see everyone and forget about life for a while (yes, I stole that from Billy Joel).

We will keep everyone updated as we learn more in the coming weeks. Thank you all for the well wishes!