Mary had her latest PET Scan done on April 16th, followed by an appointment with one of her oncologists. The spots in her abdomen are still there and still growing, although slowly, so her oncologist advised getting them taken care of.

Consequently, Mary will begin another 10-dose round of radiation next Thursday, May 2nd. The dosage is lower than her last set of treatments, so we are hoping the side effects will be minimal, and the long term effects will be less than when she received treatments near her lungs.

The good news is there were no new spots, which means the estrogen blocker is continuing to work!
Mary has been feeling generally OK. She still coughs a lot and occasionally has issues swallowing. Both are lingering effects from the radiation to the original tumor near her lungs and trachea. For now, her pulmonologist and primary care physician will continue to monitor.

Mary continues to check off her bucket list items in the meantime. She and Tom shared a week long adventure to Arizona in February. She is looking forward to having Abby and Jakob (and cats) move in over the summer as they transition back to Minnesota from Illinois.

Please say some prayers for Mary, especially during the month of May as she undergoes her next round of treatments! St. Peregrine is the patron Saint of Cancer Patients, so consider addressing some prayers to him!