Honey, I Shrunk The Tumor

Well, I didn’t shrink it, but the chemo sure worked!  Jason got the results of his CT scan today and the great news is that the tumor shrunk SIGNIFICANTLY!  Like a bunch!! Like a whole lot!!! It’s amazing!  In January when this whole thing started, the size of the tumor was compared to a softball.  Today, I would compare it to the size of a walnut (or a ping pong ball if you’re feeling sporty).  

Jason will need to get a PET scan in two weeks to verify that there are is no cancer remaining in what’s left of the tumor.  After the results are determined from that scan, we’ll decide with his doctor whether or not surgery is necessary or just lots of monitoring to make sure things stay healthy.

So it’s with mixed emotions that we end today.  Jason is grateful for the progress and I am relieved to have a few more answers and know his health is improving.  I think it’s important to look back at how far we’ve come to gain perspective.  Just a few weeks ago, Jason struggled to catch his breath when he walked up stairs and would tire after walking for 5 or 10 minutes at a time, his appetite was still off, he was fighting nausea, and he didn’t sleep well.  In comparison, we had a nice trip away with Jason’s family this past weekend.  Jason drove the whole time (about 6 hours each way), he walked with us everywhere and kept up with no problems, he swam, climbed stairs to go down the water slide, he ate well, and he slept well.  Those improvements make a huge difference; it’s so nice to see him feel better, and it makes my heart happy.

In terms of our journey, we’re chugging right along.  It seems as though the summit is in clear view some days and other days it’s foggy and seems farther off in the distance.  Maybe this whole thing is more like climbing Everest, where there are base camps and unpredictable weather patterns and you just have to plan your climb on a day to day basis.  Some days you cover a lot of ground, and some days you just hunker down and wait for things to settle.  Either way, there’s no place I’d rather be than by Jason’s side.