Repeat PET Scan
No matter how much you do, what treatment you pursue, or how confident you are at the Lord’s provision and faithfulness, there is a reality that even the idea of a repeat PET Scan to re-evaluate the current condition of your cancer status breads uncomfortable feelings and emotions.
What if?
We stepped into that space today.
Kelly had his repeat PET Scan. The first was completed a few weeks after Kelly’s initial cancer diagnosis. Kelly had the surgical biopsy of a mass noted in his mesentery on Nov 28, 2023 and was then given the biopsy results stating the Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosis on Dec 1, 2023. A few weeks later, December 12, 2023 the first PET Scan was completed and Kelly’s port-a-cath was placed the very next day, December 13, 2023.
The initial PET Scan, 12/12/23 noted:
The 11cm mass visualized and biopsied weeks prior by the surgeon was again noted and located in the central mesentery
The mass had a SUV of 11 (greater than 7 notes cancerous cells/activity)
The mass was within the lymph nodes and further noted the diagnosis “Non-Hodgkin lymphoma”, Stage 2 Bulky. Bulky due to the mass being greater than 10cm in size.
Today Kelly had his repeat PET Scan. As the day at the clinic and therapies concluded, Kelly had his weekly meeting with the doctors. Not only did they want to share the results of the repeat PET Scan from today, but also planned to go over current status of Kelly’s treatment, discharge teaching and expectations needed to get clarified before Kelly’s last day scheduled Friday. I had the luxury to FaceTime into the meeting once again. This has been such a blessing for us in this process over the last 8 weeks of treatment in Arizona. The nurse nerd in me would have struggled even more to miss the weekly doc appointments every other week while back in Montana, but the clinic has never hesitated to allow me to be present and engage in the weekly consults even if it’s only via the phone.
Repeat PET Scan, 2/28/24 noted:
NO evidence of enlarged or FDG avid LYMPH NODES - “FDG” is referring to the uptake of the radioactive sugar
No SUV max in the abdomen (read mesentery) greater than 7, in fact it was only 2.8
CLIFF NOTES:
Kelly had a CLEAR PET Scan!
Y’all!!! I watched my sweet man through the phone, sitting next to my dear brother in law (so cool that he could be there to receive the news with Kelly), begin to cry tears of joy, overwhelm, thankfulness, and PRAISE when he finally understood what the techy sounding PET Scan results were actually saying. I sat in the hallway outside our Big’s wrestling practice gym fist pumping and smiling joyfully know exactly what the PET wordiness was saying. WOW!
God has made our bodies so wonderfully!
We are SO THANKFUL for the opportunity to be able to get Kelly the treatment he has had the last 8 weeks and now we are ecstatic to step forward further and confidently in the continued healing of Kelly’s kidneys! PRAISE GOD!!!
Thank you for those that prayed today!
Thank you for those that have continued to pray for us, given to make this specific plan of care and treatment possible for Kelly, and all the amazing shares with others along the way!!! God used you to heal my husband!!!! THANK YOU!!!
Played this on BLAST today as me and the kiddos got home from wrestling practice . . . jump to minute 3 to get the increased intensity of the moment and the cry of our hearts! We praise you, Lord!!!
One more IPT (low-dose chemo) process tomorrow to help Kelly kick and residual CFCs to the curb. Then supportive therapies on Friday and discharge from An Oasis of Healing.
He comes home after 8 weeks of treatment at the clinic and 59 days total in Arizona (January 5th to March 4th). We will have therapies to continue while home, but cannot wait to have him under the same roof as there rest of the family!
We are joyful tonight.
Kelly celebrated with our BIL, Alex by drinking his cold glass of water with an extra squeeze of lemon today. Ha! He’s fasting for IPT tomorrow, so we got a laugh out of that one!
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.