Dear family and friends,

Mary has completed the third of six cycles of chemo treatments in this, her third round of chemotherapy.  Each cycle is completed within three weeks and she is administered infusions during the first and second week of each cycle with the third week a “resting” week to give her body some recovery time before the next cycle.  Overall we’ve been at this for three and a half years now and it’s still not any fun!

The latest marker test had indicated that her CA125 marker remained elevated and had, in fact, gone up a bit, so the doctor called for another CT scan to assess whether tumors were recurring.  Results could indicate that the chemo was no longer effectively stopping cancer growth. Mary has had a difficult time with this round of chemo so we have been very fearful of a negative finding from last Thursday’s scan  ……. completed six anxiety-filled days ago!  

Alas, we received only minutes ago the test results which, much to our surprise and elation, are very much encouraging.  The chemo is doing its thing ……. and we are so thankful and relieved!

I’m convinced that along with the comprehensive care Mary is receiving from the excellent physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals at INOVA, her condition has been so positively impacted by all the heartfelt caring, thoughts, prayers, calls, cards and messages received from our cherished family and friends throughout this ordeal.  Thank you is not enough to say but I’m saying it anyway……thank you!

Sempre avanti,

Daniel