Surgery Date

Hello all,

On Monday I went to UCSF for another MRI and to meet with my surgeon. As hoped and expected, the MRI shows no further growth since May. However, the difference in prior year's MRIs is still apparent and my surgeon feels surgery is still needed. He said it is not an emergency and I could chose a time that works best, although he would hope that I would not wait too long. I've chosen to have surgery sooner rather than later and not wonder when I might have symptoms. In light of Ian's 15th birthday on Sept. 25, Helen's play the first 2 weekends of Oct. and a couple of other events David is involved in, I opted to ask for a date after Oct. 25. On Thursday I learned the date will be Oct. 26. I'm confident in my surgeon, one of the best in the world, and believe all will be will.

There is the possibility I will be encouraged to follow surgery with chemotherapy or might participate in a study using a new drug that inhibits the return of low-grade tumors. I will learn more after the pathology study is done.

When David called his folks on Monday with our news, he learned his father was fighting a fever. He ended up admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. This was pretty scary and very likely was caused by the cancer drugs keeping his Multiple Myeloma under control. He is still in the hospital, but has been moved out of the ICU and will go home tomorrow. We are thankful!

We are also thankful Ian is back to swimming, increasing his energy and appetite! We will both walk the survivors' lap in tomorrow's Relay For Life and he will be giving a speech during the lighting of the luminaria as the Relay's Honorary co-chair. Helen is doing well, focusing on theater classes, the play, and French this fall.

We are thankful, too, for all of you and pray you are well, even as you pray for us.

In love, Natalie

Remission!

We just arrived home from Stanford where Ian's Oncology Drs. gave us the results of the scans taken Aug. 23. The news is very good. The CT scan was completely clean and PET CT scan only shows a small highlight that is very likely not related to the cancer. The Drs. feel very good about how Ian is doing and even gave him the go ahead to swim with his swim team in the late afternoons even though the sun is still out. Technically he's supposed to stay out of the sun for 3 months after radiation because that area is very sensitive.

Ian also had a chest x-ray today because he has a bad chest cough from a cold he came down with more than a week ago at the homeschool camp Aug. 24-31. But, the x-ray was clean, so we are also thankful for that! Hopefully, our next check up will be in 2 months (protocol through the first year) unless the radiation Dr. wants to see Ian sooner.

Ian did have a wonderful time at camp and we are so grateful he was able to attend with everything he's been through this year. The week before camp our entire family enjoyed a family reunion in New Mexico, another wonderful respite from our crazy year. (See photos above.)

David is very involved in our local American Cancer Society Relay for Life, which is coming up Sept. 18. One of the ways he raises money is by doing his own swim-a-thon. He did his swim yesterday and swam 7000 yards, which is 4 miles! He has nearly raised $2000! If you would like to put him over the top, please join him.

Ian will also have a significant role in this year's Relay. He is Honorary Chair and will be giving one of the opening speeches! And we will walk the survivor lap together, the thought of which brings tears to my eyes already.

My news is that I will have another MRI and see my surgeon Mon., Sept. 13. It would be wonderful if the MRI showed nothing growing after all, but I expect we will set a surgery date at that time. Meanwhile, I am feeling an almost desperate need to clear the clutter out of my life and have a lots of stuff set aside for a garage sale this Sat. There's so much to do to get ready, I'm not sure how I'll manage. But, whatever happens, I will get rid of a some of the clutter in my life. Yeah!

Please also keep my 22 month old nephew, Teo, in your prayers. (Teo and his Mommy and Daddy are with Ian and I in a photo above.) He is in the hospital with a nasty viral infection that caused such a bad fever he had a seizure. On top of that, my sister-in-law Pinar twisted her ankle badly before he got sick and they are in Turkey while my brother Melborne is back here in the US. It's so hard to be separated when needs and worries are so great!

Thank you all for keeping us in your hearts. You are a blessing to us! Love, Natalie