MIBG Scan Results!

Well, the scans went on as planned last Tues. Wed. and possibly Thursday. We deprived Madelyn of her normal afternoon nap in hopes that she would nap during the long scan on Tuesday...and it worked. She fussed at first, but slept through the whole thing. Rick went with me so we both could distract her when she was fussy. Wed. my mom and I took her and she didn't do as good as Tues. She didn't sleep, so she screamed the whole time until I discovered how much she loves gum. I was blowing bubbles and snapping it and she just laid there and watched and laughed. Once we were finished the Nuclear Medicine Tech. told us they would call us after the radiologist had a chance to look at them and tell us if we needed to come back on Thursday. I was fine w/that until they called us a couple hours later and told us we needed to come in the next day for scans too. I started thinking about this and really drove myself into oblivion. I remember the last time we did this after round #4, we had to go in the 3rd day, it was positive. I couldn't decide if this was a good thing...they didn't see anything and wanted to make sure they didn't see anything or a bad thing...they saw areas that glowed and wanted to make sure of the extent of the glow. We ended up calling the Oncologist Wed. night, just b/c we couldn't take it anymore. He didn't have the results...so we waited.

Thursday we went in for the last day of scans. She fussed, but slept though half of this one. I asked the tech. after when the results would be done. He said they would be read that afternoon, but it takes 48 hours for them to get it to Oncology. He told me I could have the Oncologist call to get the results and they would get them that afternoon. So I talked w/the nurse in Oncology and asked her if she could ask the Dr. to call over to get the results and she said she would.

I got a call from Dr. Roberts about 3 hours after we left the hospital. She said...that all areas that showed cancer before, the lymph nodes, liver and primary tumor in her chest were NEGATIVE, meaning no signs of cancer. They said there was a faint glow in the right chest, but she never had anything in the right chest before, so it is unlikely that during treatment, a new spot started. They said the radiologist said that it was a "very, very faint glow". They told us that they are not concerned but we will rule it out completely with the MRI on Friday. They said sometimes the tissue absorbs the iodine and that could be the glow. We are ecstatic, but cautiously happy! The thought of this area in the right chest is just in the back of mind and will not go away. Although the Dr's. say they are not worried, I need them to confirm before I go shouting from roof tops and jumping up and down!!

So to sum it all up, there is not any more cancer in the existing previously affected areas. They are going to rule out the area in the right chest. The positive or negative for cancer was only part one of this final diagnostic testing. Now, we need to do the MRI and bone marrow biopsy on Friday to rule out cancer involvement in the bone marrow and to observe the size of the primary tumor. Per the Dr's. if the primary hasn't shrunk 90% or more from the original size, then they want to do surgery to remove what is left. However, if it has shrunk 90% or more or COMPLETELY, then the only surgery we will be doing is to remove Madelyn's port, which will be a WONDERFUL DAY OF CELEBRATION!!!

Thanks for checking in, we will keep you all informed of the results.

Countdown to Madelyn's 1st Birthday...24 days!!!