Dr. Bowman's Visit
Thursday afternoon and Jack is back at school. I picked him up for his 11:30a.m. appt. with Dr. Bowman his oncologist from Cook's Hospital. We got to see some friends in the waiting room. Jack had woken up early to make his own lunch today which he ate in the waiting room of the doctors office. He had a very dry looking peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich and a cup of key lime yoplait yogurt. He enjoyed every bite. He also asked me this morning if he could take a dollar from his bank to get a soda for his drink from the lobby area at the dr.'s office.
When we got in the building he marched straight over to a bench, laid down his lunch box, opened it up, reached in for his dollar bill and very proudly walked over to the soda machine and made his selection. He makes me smile.
When we got into a room the Dr. said that Jack didn't need to get a poke today, to just let him have a 2 week break from blood draws completely. Jack was thrilled about that, I would have liked to know what his counts were this week, but am so glad that he gets his first week in one year without a needle stick!
Dr. Bowman came over to us and pulled up a chair to dialogue about Jack's results last week. I didn't have any time last week to discuss it with Dr. Bowers, so I was glad that Dr. Bowman broached the subject. Summarizing the next 10 minutes with him I will tell you what we talked about. He said that the next visit to Dallas and the next MRI is going to be pivotal in Jack's treatment. At that time we will be deciding where to go next with this. I asked him if Jack would be put on the next line of chemo drugs immediately when we finish this protocol or if we just would wait until it started to grow. He said with most low-grade glioma tumor's you can just wait and see, unfortunately Jack's tumor was so aggressive, it doesn't always "act" like a typical low grade glioma. Alot of times if this type of aggressive tumor is allowed time to grow back it can mutate and become resistant to any form of treatment. It can also go the other way, the chemo could have mutated it already and it might not be as aggressive anymore, in that case future treatment would still be needed, it just might not be as resistant to the medication. Then he asked if we had talked about radiation therapy. I did not on this last visit but knew from our time earlier last year that it would be a possibility if the 2 chemo protocols didn't work. He said that is true, I asked him if the gamma knife radiation would work for Jack, gamma knife is supposidly a newer form of radiation which is much larger doses of radiation but much more pinpointed, it wouldn't affect the other areas of the brain as much. He is going to check with Dr. Bowers and some other radiologists he works with to see if this might be a good option for Jack. There are a host of issues with radiation that totally freaked me out today talking with him.
I did ask him if he could in his experience forecast into the next 2-3 years and tell us what this will look like, he said that he would guess we would have already done radiation by that point.
All of this information is beneficial, and when we go back in 3 months it will help us to be informed and be thinking about our options.
I am praying that God's blessing will be on Jack and our family during this next 3 months, and after, for peace, and that God will shine his light clearly on this situation.
This next sentence sounds morbid, I am sorry for that, but I have seen parents who have lost their children to cancer, and some that are going through it right now, with hospice as their child's caregiver, and I look at Jack and I can not imagine my life without him. My prayer and pleading to God is that he blesses me with 3 healthy children whom I can see grow up and see thriving in their adulthood. I am sure that these parents I have spoke of have prayed that same prayer too.
I have yearnings for my life on earth, but my hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' love and righteousness. I have hope and it is that this world is not our home, if Jesus is your savior you know that life on earth is but a fleeting moment compared to our eternity in heaven. This said for sure, that our life on earth is not easy, but worth the trials to do God's will and live in the hope only He can give.
When we got in the building he marched straight over to a bench, laid down his lunch box, opened it up, reached in for his dollar bill and very proudly walked over to the soda machine and made his selection. He makes me smile.
When we got into a room the Dr. said that Jack didn't need to get a poke today, to just let him have a 2 week break from blood draws completely. Jack was thrilled about that, I would have liked to know what his counts were this week, but am so glad that he gets his first week in one year without a needle stick!
Dr. Bowman came over to us and pulled up a chair to dialogue about Jack's results last week. I didn't have any time last week to discuss it with Dr. Bowers, so I was glad that Dr. Bowman broached the subject. Summarizing the next 10 minutes with him I will tell you what we talked about. He said that the next visit to Dallas and the next MRI is going to be pivotal in Jack's treatment. At that time we will be deciding where to go next with this. I asked him if Jack would be put on the next line of chemo drugs immediately when we finish this protocol or if we just would wait until it started to grow. He said with most low-grade glioma tumor's you can just wait and see, unfortunately Jack's tumor was so aggressive, it doesn't always "act" like a typical low grade glioma. Alot of times if this type of aggressive tumor is allowed time to grow back it can mutate and become resistant to any form of treatment. It can also go the other way, the chemo could have mutated it already and it might not be as aggressive anymore, in that case future treatment would still be needed, it just might not be as resistant to the medication. Then he asked if we had talked about radiation therapy. I did not on this last visit but knew from our time earlier last year that it would be a possibility if the 2 chemo protocols didn't work. He said that is true, I asked him if the gamma knife radiation would work for Jack, gamma knife is supposidly a newer form of radiation which is much larger doses of radiation but much more pinpointed, it wouldn't affect the other areas of the brain as much. He is going to check with Dr. Bowers and some other radiologists he works with to see if this might be a good option for Jack. There are a host of issues with radiation that totally freaked me out today talking with him.
I did ask him if he could in his experience forecast into the next 2-3 years and tell us what this will look like, he said that he would guess we would have already done radiation by that point.
All of this information is beneficial, and when we go back in 3 months it will help us to be informed and be thinking about our options.
I am praying that God's blessing will be on Jack and our family during this next 3 months, and after, for peace, and that God will shine his light clearly on this situation.
This next sentence sounds morbid, I am sorry for that, but I have seen parents who have lost their children to cancer, and some that are going through it right now, with hospice as their child's caregiver, and I look at Jack and I can not imagine my life without him. My prayer and pleading to God is that he blesses me with 3 healthy children whom I can see grow up and see thriving in their adulthood. I am sure that these parents I have spoke of have prayed that same prayer too.
I have yearnings for my life on earth, but my hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' love and righteousness. I have hope and it is that this world is not our home, if Jesus is your savior you know that life on earth is but a fleeting moment compared to our eternity in heaven. This said for sure, that our life on earth is not easy, but worth the trials to do God's will and live in the hope only He can give.
Comments
You provide encouragement to me each time I read your blog. I cannot begin to imagine all the thoughts and emotions that you are experiencing, but your openness and sincerity help me know what to pray for you, Rob, Jack, Derek and Sophie. Prayers will continue to be lifted up for the Jack to be completely healed.
We'll be on our knees for you and your family over the next couple of months.
Please know our love, prayers and hearts continue with you and yours.
Tom and Dixie
Thank you for representing Jesus.
- From a reader who is strengthened by your faith.
R--