So much to do now . . .

Another 9:50pm post (in other words, still thinking of things late at night).  This time with good reason, however.  I'm working on the actual Relay for Life committee this year and we had our first meeting for comittee chairs last night.  I'm actually really excited to be in on the whole process from the beginning, albeit a little daunted by the proposed $30K in corporate sponsorship that I'm supposed to come up with between now and April.  For those out there reading my blog who are making this same journey either as a patient or as a caregiver, I URGE you to reach out to others through volunteer work.  In our small community, there are no brain-cancer specific events, I wish there were.  For that reason, I chose to work with American Cancer Society and have found that meeting other survivors and caregivers really has helped keep me in check and focus on things beyond my own illness.  It is a truly rewarding experience made all the more sweet by the money our small community has been raising for ACS.  Almost all communities have a Relay for Life....you can call American Cancer Society to find one near you....:-)

Back to "normal" for now

Well, thank you all for the prayers and positive energy that's been sent my way...my MRI showed a slight decrease in one side and stability elsewhere...my oncologist said that he saw scar tissue and no evidence of any active tumor in the residual mass area on the scan.  Also, those of you who've had post treatment MRIs know that hopefully they begin to show black areas of air/fluid in regions previously occupied by mass...another great sign that things are moving in the right direction.  I feel so blessed.  When comparing the post op MRI from last year with this one, for the first time I was able to see a golf ball sized space--the resection cavity--from which my neurosurgeon removed as much as possible (75-80%) last April...up until this point there has been inflammation and necrotic tumor tissue in that area....please continue to get in touch if you or a loved one are facing a similar situation...it is so helpful to talk to others making this same journey...also nice to know people are reading.

In hope,
Michael

The waiting game

So...here we are again.  Four months since my last MRI and today I had a scan.  I'm in that nether worldly state between having the scan and finding out if it is good news or bad news.  I've been feeling well and have now fully weaned off of my dilantin.  I've even become accustomed to a life where scans are a regular part of my life.  Its the 12 or so hours (thankfully no longer usually) between the scan and the results that still make me really nervous.  I've gotten used to almost all aspects of this thing but sometimes the waiting game still makes me nervous.