Journal entry by Debbie Heiman — 3/2/2017
Today's labs looked good, and Scott is ready to start chemo on Monday, March 6th. He will have 4 days of chemo and then his Neulasta shot on Friday.
We talked to Dr. Charlson a lot today about what to do next. He thinks that a CT scan is our best bet for his upcoming scan instead of doing a PET scan. In the end, it is our choice. We decided to go ahead with a CT scan first. If everything remains stable, then we'll be happy. If there is any growth in the liver tumors, or if any new tumors appear on the scan, then we will schedule a PET scan.
His CT scan will be on Monday, April 10th. We will meet with Dr. Charlson on Thursday, April 13th to get the results.
That gives Scott exactly a month of no treatments, Dr. appointments, or even setting foot into a hospital, God willing. That's exactly what he needs right now! He deserves a break from this 2 year battle!
The day before his scan, April 9th, marks the 2 year anniversary of hearing the dreaded word cancer in the ER at West Allis Memorial.
Speaking of that day, I have to share this amazing story! I have thought about what that amazing ER Dr. did for us many times over the past 2 years. I looked through our paperwork and found his name. I called him to thank him for his quick action in helping to figure out that Scott had DSRCT. We had a great talk about faith and God's plan for us all. He lost his brother-in-law to cancer in December 2016, after a 5 year battle. His little sister is widowed with 3 young children. This man is amazing, and took the time to send me a beautiful letter in the mail. He said that most of the time, he never finds out what happens to his patients once they leave. He remembered us, but never knew what Scott was diagnosed with. He was very sorry to hear what I shared with him.
Along with the letter were 3 devotions/talks for us to read. He told me if I have the time to update him, he would appreciate it, but he understands how overwhelming it can be. I couldn't believe how much he cared to go out of his way to send that! It truly meant the world to me! He is one of the reasons that we still have Scott here with us! DSRCT isn't always found so quickly. Sarcomas are very rare and DSRCT is a rare form of Sarcoma.
God surely places special people in our lives, even at the most difficult times.
We're very happy and excited about the upcoming break. Unfortunately, fear accompanies those feelings. This cancer can grow so quickly, and you never know when it's going to spread or grow.
We must continue to trust in God's perfect plan! Dr. Charlson assured us that Scott will be monitored closely with frequent scans.
The results we receive on April 13th will help us decide what the next step will be in Scott's treatment. We must keep fighting this beast!
I am excited about an upcoming Sarcoma event at Milwaukee County Zoo on April 1st. I will be giving a brief 5 minute talk on being a caregiver to my spouse. Froedtert has also chosen a parent caregiver to a child with Sarcoma and an adult child who is caregiver to their parent with Sarcoma. We're planning on bringing our kids to share the day with us.
Please pray for this last cycle of chemo to not be hard on Scott. I'm hoping for a smooth end before his break.
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