A Blessing In Disguise?
Well, to quote my mom who had to write Elder Bird on his mission about some news we got..."Please don't freak out," and I ask you to do the same :).
That being said, let's get down to business, I know my monthly blog is three days over due, sorry!!!! We had to write this one when we were nice and ready. So without further ado, Mom's MRI from 2.5 weeks ago did NOT come back clear, that's right, that dang little tumor is trying to grow back. The doctors knew it would happen and rather than saying 'if' it grows back it's a matter of 'when.'
SO after some pretty upsetting phone calls back and forth, Mom and I realized that we were too exhausted to tell people just yet and that when questions came we wanted to be armed with correct and positive answers. So the next step was to pray out guts out and hang on for dear life. Here is a breakdown of what happened that crazzzy day.
1. Mom's MRI reading appt is at 9:30 am.
2. I wait for a text during the appt from Angela McLaws letting me know all is peachy.
3. I don't get the text, I start calling too many times. Angela tells me she'll call me back as soon as she can.
4. Mom calls back a while later and tells me the really uncool news, that the lining of where the tumor was is thicker indicating a grow back.
5. Total peace an calm come over us (WHAt!?!?! HOW!?!?!) Oh, yeah. Realizing that we are still on Heavenly Father's time table.
6. Okay what's next Mom?
7. Well they are going to 'unblind' my study to see if I really am on the experimental drug Avastin, this is supposed to take 2-3 days.
-So at this point we are just praying that mom HAS NOT been on the drug for the last 6 months, because if she was, then it hasn't been working.-8. 2:40pm same day I get a phone call with Mom screaming into the phone that she has been on the PLACEBO for 6 months!!! Mom and I have been sitting at the doctors office getting sugar water drips since last fall!!!!
(Her doctors didn't have the patience to wait 2-3 days and found out as fast as they could, about 3 hours). Never have we been so grateful to sugar water. :)
9. THIS IS THE BEST NEWS we could have gotten. Avastin has just recently been FDA approved to give patients with GBM's straight up....so two Thursdays ago mom got her first official Avastin Drip and her second one is this Thursday.
What does this all mean you ask? Well in the words of her doctors, Mom has been fighting the tumor off for 6 months pretty much on her own, which never happens, it usually only takes a few weeks to start coming back. Way to go MOM! Also, these doctors know that Avastin WORKS. It works!!!!! This is the miracle we have been looking for and we know now that mom is on it FOR SURE. It's just amazing. We know that miracles happen and when we ask God to move mountains, we have to pick up a shovel and help, and this Avastin will be our shovel (along with prayers and fasting and everything else we can think of). :)
So now we wait and pray SOME MORE! Lots and lots! All the time! And we THANK YOU forever for your prayers, we still feel them constantly and your words of encouragement boost her spirits like you wouldn't believe.
We think France said it best when he said "Well, what we thought was going to be a half marathon has now turned into a full marathon." She has a LONG ways to go, but she has also come so far. Thank you again, we love you all.
So yes, this bump in the road, this set-back, is a blessing in disguise, she is on a treatment that works. Here we go!
Okay! The first picture! Look how cute she is! Her hat has hair attached to it so it's not an itchy and scratchy wig! Most people have no idea that she lost a ton of hair and think her straight hair is normal. Hilarious! Mom has the curliest hair and it's growing back in just as curly.