We got an early start to the day yesterday. We all headed to Children’s Hospital for Jude’s 6:30 a.m. MRI. He has an MRI every 4 months. He does well with it all, but hates getting poked for his IV. The numbing cream and astronaut gas don’t seem to help too much. The scan looks stable. They think the bright tissue on the scan is probably just scar tissue rather than tumor cells since it does not appear to have grown or changed.
Every appointment with the oncologist seems to reveal a bigger piece of the puzzle, with us learning a host of new things to worry about. It seems like the gradual revelation is intentional so that we won’t get overwhelmed at first. At the last appointment we learned the MRIs would have to continue for 20 years since the tumor is so slow growing. This time we learned about all the hormonal and growth issues that having a large brain tumor and brain pressure can cause. So, at this rate, I will breathe easier in 19 years.