Its Back With Avengence!

This morning Dr Jackson from the Eye Institute came to evaluate Stevan's eyes again. No change. He did say that the mass appeared to be about the size of two large grapes or a ping pong ball.

Dr Selby came in a bit later and talked to us. They were still waiting on the 24hr urine sample, bone biopsy and the official read on the MRI scan on his brain and discussed treatment options. He said their first option is to go for chemo treatment, either with IV or with pills along with the Dexamethasone. Second option is radiation, and finally surgery. He did say that by looking at the MRI it appears that the myeloma is in the first layer of membrane surrounding the brain (there are three layers that surrounds and protects the brain). He wasn't sure just to what extent it was in it.

At 1:30pm today we were transported over to the cancer clinic for a consult with the radiology team. We met up with Stevan's former radiation doctor, Dr Herman. He said the MRI from yesterday showed that there are several myeloma lesions in his back, and right arm socket and the mass behind his left eye has eroded a bit of the bone inside the socket. There is also myeloma lesions on several places on his scull. He said there was myeloma in the lining of the brain close to the fluid that surrounds the brain. Translation: this is serious!

He said they wanted to do a spinal tap and check his spinal fluids to see if the myeloma was in it. They also want to do a different kind of MRI on his back and spine to see the lesions better. This will happen tomorrow.

Treatment according to Dr Herman: full cranium radiation today, 15 to 25 treatments. This will cause fatigue, redness to the eyes, and more than likely permanent hair loss. Down the road, 3-5 yrs., he will develop cataracts and will have to have them removed. Dr Herman said they will work with Dr Selby and watch what they are doing with drug treatment so that they don't overdo the radiation and possibly stop it if the chemo is working.

When we got back to the room, the resident stem cell doctor came in and told us that the MRI was finally read.  He said where they thought the myeloma had invaded the lining around the brain was actually just the reflection of the bone. So they are not going to be doing the spinal tap after all. We told him that Dr Herman had began the radiation this afternoon and was interested in a new MRI on Stevan's spine and right shoulder to see if there needed to be more radiation done in those areas as well. He said that he would contact Dr Herman's office in the morning and discuss everything with him. He also said that they would have to wait until the bone biopsy comes back before they start Stevan on any chemo. They want to see the makeup of the myeloma to determine which chemo to use on it.

This evening we discovered that the doctors have stopped the Dexamethasone. We didn't realize it, but we plan on asking the doctors in the morning about it. We wonder if they stopped it because it didn't seem to be reducing the swelling.

Thank you for the prayers. God had given me more strength today than I could have ever had myself to deal with all that we heard today.