Journal entry by Michael O'Brien —
Hello everyone and I'm sorry for the delay in keeping all up to date: It was 6 months ago today that the doctors found a mass sitting in Anna's chest. We can honestly say that it’s been a very long six months, and there have been times where Anna literally stomped her foot like a toddler, wishing this wasn’t happening to us. But, we have all made it through the trials and tribulations related to a family member having cancer. Anna has been positive and triumphant in her treatments and we can now see the light at the end of this tunnel.
We got confirmation from our doctor on Friday the 13th, following the final PET scan after round six, that Anna has had full metabolic response to the chemo treatments. This is the best news we could have received! The mass, which was initially lighting up at a very aggressive 28 on the PET scan, indicating the number of live cancer cells, is now lighting up at a 2 and is comparable to the background activity of her blood and other organs. The mass has shrunk significantly (about 97% its original size) and is likely comprised of residual dead tissue. However, in order to best minimize the likelihood of any active cancer cells, Anna and I decided to consult with a radiation specialist in the next couple of weeks. If we decide to move forward, the plan will likely be Anna will need to go through four weeks of targeted radiation, 5 days a week. While radiation can inevitably come with some risks, we do feel the benefit of hopefully wiping away the cancer completely, which outweighs those risks.
We will follow up with another scan in the next couple of months and then blood work every three months unless symptoms arise. All we know is that we are all so ready to close this chapter and move forward with our life. We are holding on to these great results and will continue to follow our doctor’s lead. As always, thank you for following along on this crazy, surreal journey and for keeping us in your thoughts. Much love from Mike & Anna (and the kids).
We got confirmation from our doctor on Friday the 13th, following the final PET scan after round six, that Anna has had full metabolic response to the chemo treatments. This is the best news we could have received! The mass, which was initially lighting up at a very aggressive 28 on the PET scan, indicating the number of live cancer cells, is now lighting up at a 2 and is comparable to the background activity of her blood and other organs. The mass has shrunk significantly (about 97% its original size) and is likely comprised of residual dead tissue. However, in order to best minimize the likelihood of any active cancer cells, Anna and I decided to consult with a radiation specialist in the next couple of weeks. If we decide to move forward, the plan will likely be Anna will need to go through four weeks of targeted radiation, 5 days a week. While radiation can inevitably come with some risks, we do feel the benefit of hopefully wiping away the cancer completely, which outweighs those risks.
We will follow up with another scan in the next couple of months and then blood work every three months unless symptoms arise. All we know is that we are all so ready to close this chapter and move forward with our life. We are holding on to these great results and will continue to follow our doctor’s lead. As always, thank you for following along on this crazy, surreal journey and for keeping us in your thoughts. Much love from Mike & Anna (and the kids).
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