After discussing all possible treatment regiments and protocols with Dr Ray Richards it looks like the best option for this tumor would be chemotherapy. Ray has worked very hard on this and was even able to talk with Dr Jackle at the Mayo Clinic who wrote the current protocol for Oligodendromas in the United States. He indicated that chemo only is "done all the time" in their clinic because it works so well on these types of tumors and because they can spare the patient the long term side effects of radiation therapy. They still can hold radiation therapy in reserve if it is needed.
Ricky now has an appointment Monday the 9th in the morning to meet with Dr Haslem. He has accepted Ricky as a patient and is ready to help him with the chemo side of this process. He and Ray have discussed everything and Dr Haslem is ready to begin the treatments that will help Ricky with this next step. The chemotherapy is given 5 days out of every 28 days and would probably be given for one year. It is still a hard regiment but patients under age 40 usually do well with this type of treatment. It is still chemo with all of the side effects of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, body aches, etc. but Ricky says he is up for the challenge. He is going to try to stay in school and work through it. What a great attitude. We just don't know when exactly he will start it. We'll keep everyone posted.
Jeff
That is great news that they won't have to do radiation also. My son also did a course that was 5-6 days every 4 weeks for 6 months and had fabulous results. Good luck with this next step.
ReplyDeleteHey, this is Karen Esplin commenting from my daughter Tara's computer where she has pulled up your story. She came home yesterday with the shocking news about Ricky. He doesn't know us, but the rest of the Rogers family does, so hopefully that makes us all bonded anyway. :) I can only imagine what Erika is going through, and the rest of the family too.
ReplyDeleteMost of you know that I did chemo 2 yrs ago, and radiation for breast cancer. A very eye opening experience to say the least. But I DID come away (if you can ever say that) with a WHOLE NEW HEART!! I learned that the condition of our heart is one of the greatest things we can work on while we are here on this earth. It sounds like Erika has already started to experience it. I hope and pray that you will be able to come to a point like I did. I can honestly say "Cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me".
I have NEVER felt closer to the Lord, and I have never felt more love for everyone in the world than I did then. I know when I feel myself drifting, I think about my 'cancer' days. It brings me to my knees. I could relate so much to the part when Erika said she hit her knees in gratitude for some of the positive test results. That's what I lived on, every positive test result and all the things that were in my favor, like Jeff said about him being strong and healthy, and young, etc.
Mostly I realized, as I am sure you have, that it IS ALL IN GOD'S HANDS!! He knows what is best, He knows THE PLAN. I had to trust, it was the only way I could survive emotionally. But let me add one more thought here, in the Bible Dictionary, (under prayer) there is one paragraph that tells us that God is willing to grant blessings, but some are made "conditional" ON - OUR - ASKING ! I know you are asking , keep it up, ask for a miracle, why not? Jesus is the Master Physician and He performs MIRACLES. I KNOW this to be true. We all know it must be HIS WILL.
Personally, I begged, on a daily basis, to learn the LESSON that was available for me
I think I learned it, and the sooner we all do, the sooner we will have peace........
I am praying for all of you and will be following your story. Remember, no matter what you read online or what you hear about other people's stories, YOUR STORY IS YOURS ALONE, and it will be one to be remembered, BUT IT WILL BE DIFFERENT than anyone else's, I know.
I send ALL MY LOVE to ALL of you!
Love, Karen Esplin
PS If Erika or anyone in the family for that matter, is in St George on a Monday, there is a very helpful group that meets in the radiation conference room at 11 am for meditation, we are all cancer survivors, some still doing treatment, and we are learning to be at peace with our situations and then we talk and lean on each other. It is VERY refreshing for families, etc. Every other Monday we stay for another hour and give each other support. Come try it.
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