Journal entry by Liz Erven —
Hi Everyone!
It's been a while since we last posted an update. We had a bit of a scare the past two weeks with Tom's most recent CT scan on July 13th. We met with Dr. De Rosa directly after his CT scan and were very surprised to hear that a nodule showed up on his scan that wasn't visible on his last scan 6 months ago. Dr. De Rosa said it was small, but large enough to be concerning, so she ordered a PET scan. Tom had the PET scan last Thursday (July 23), so after two weeks of worrying and praying, Dr. De Rosa called this morning and gave us good news. The nodule did not "light up" on the scan, which indicated it is a benign lesion. There was one spot near his surgical site that lit up slightly, but Dr. De Rosa said that is likely from his radiation treatments. She would like to be cautious and proactive, though, so she will present his PET scan results to the VA tumor board, as well as alert his oncologist. He will also have another CT scan in October to keep a close eye on things. Needless to say, we were so relieved to get some good news.
Overall, Tom is recovering from everything pretty well. He has had to make some dietary changes, which has been a bit challenging for both of us, but he has been a good sport about it. Tom has found he can no longer tolerate dairy, caffeine and tomato-based foods and has to minimize his vegetable intake. For a guy who loves his coffee and ice cream, this has been quite the adjustment, but we have found other alternatives! He has gained back all the weight he lost from his second round of chemo and is starting to gain some muscle back as well. Unfortunately, the second round of chemo also caused Tom to have some neuropathy in his hands and feet, which is a common side effect, so he may have that permanently. We are hoping with time it will improve.
We are blessed to have such a caring medical team at the VA and supportive family and friends. Continued prayers for healing are appreciated! Thank you!
Much love,
Liz & Tom
It's been a while since we last posted an update. We had a bit of a scare the past two weeks with Tom's most recent CT scan on July 13th. We met with Dr. De Rosa directly after his CT scan and were very surprised to hear that a nodule showed up on his scan that wasn't visible on his last scan 6 months ago. Dr. De Rosa said it was small, but large enough to be concerning, so she ordered a PET scan. Tom had the PET scan last Thursday (July 23), so after two weeks of worrying and praying, Dr. De Rosa called this morning and gave us good news. The nodule did not "light up" on the scan, which indicated it is a benign lesion. There was one spot near his surgical site that lit up slightly, but Dr. De Rosa said that is likely from his radiation treatments. She would like to be cautious and proactive, though, so she will present his PET scan results to the VA tumor board, as well as alert his oncologist. He will also have another CT scan in October to keep a close eye on things. Needless to say, we were so relieved to get some good news.
Overall, Tom is recovering from everything pretty well. He has had to make some dietary changes, which has been a bit challenging for both of us, but he has been a good sport about it. Tom has found he can no longer tolerate dairy, caffeine and tomato-based foods and has to minimize his vegetable intake. For a guy who loves his coffee and ice cream, this has been quite the adjustment, but we have found other alternatives! He has gained back all the weight he lost from his second round of chemo and is starting to gain some muscle back as well. Unfortunately, the second round of chemo also caused Tom to have some neuropathy in his hands and feet, which is a common side effect, so he may have that permanently. We are hoping with time it will improve.
We are blessed to have such a caring medical team at the VA and supportive family and friends. Continued prayers for healing are appreciated! Thank you!
Much love,
Liz & Tom
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