Millie and I were back at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Rosa today for her quarterly CT Scan. I had just returned from Dallas 12 hours before her appointment, and was too frazzled and tired to really think about the implications of the scan. It was as we were snuggled in the plastic waiting room chair that I thought of our last scans in November. At that time, I was equally nonchalant about the scans, and assumed all would be clean. The irregular results of her bone scan at that time deflated my soul. This time, I had no real time to start worrying as now it was Millie who carried all the fear. With her broviac removed, she now had to undergo scans using an IV...the dreaded needle poke. She was tearful and clingly, but eventually let the technician and nurse do their jobs. Just 20 minutes later we were back on the road towards lunch and a post-scan treat.
Last week Brian took Millie in for her monthly check with Dr. Sharma, who let him know that she would need no more pentamadine infusions nor quarterly bone scans. She felt the nuclear contrast of the bone scans were too risky to use so often in a case like Millie. We will just have an MRI of the tumor area in March, and no real other medical interventions.
Our nurse called this evening to let us know Millie's CT Scan was clear. This is great news, as the areas most likely for a metastis is the lungs. The area most likely for relapse is the original tumor site, so we'll keep an eye on the MRI and post with the results in March.
Just to add, we're so glad she doesn't need any more pentamadine (the monthly antiviral she's been receiving) as, without her broviac, it had to be administered through a nebulizer (breathing treatment) which triggered her very first asthma attack. The rest of us all have asthma, so her being predisposed is, I guess, not so surprising, but she has never exhibited any sign of it. I was seconds from taking her to the ER (after a similar scare with her brother years ago) but thought to administer one of our albuterol inhalants, as sanctioned by a phone call to the oncologist, which did the trick... thankfully. I'm extremely put off by this event, and, as with her allergic reaction to septra, wish it could've been avoided. Live and learn - she's had no recurrence of this condition.
ReplyDeleteWhat a relief!! So far, so good... Your little fighter is amazing, and we'll continue to think only positively for her continued great results.
ReplyDeletewith love, claudia