Back from St. Louis with NED in tow!

The last couple of weeks have been intense for Moopy and me. Two weeks ago today (May 19) we were in St. Louis with our oncologist there. A pleasant, upbeat meeting - except while rereading Moopy's PET scan from December, she saw a possible "hot spot" in one of the intramammary lymph nodes. This, in turn, affected plans for Moopy's radiation therapy. Instead of starting on May 20, our radiation onc in Springfield decided to put the rads on hold until he consulted with a radiation onc at Barnes-Jewish in St. Louis. We couldn't see Dr. Taylor at Barnes-Jewish until June 2, so we just had to wait.

So for two weeks we have been twiddling our thumbs waiting to drive up to St. Louis for a PET scan on June 1 and a meeting with the radiation onc on June 2. I have to say that Moopy has been very brave throughout. I've done my best to stay brave with her. But it sure hasn't been easy treading water like this.

Now for the good news. Dr. Taylor at Barnes-Jewish will be doing Moopy's radiation treatments up in St. Louis, using a combination of hyperthermia and radiation. The area to be radiated is heated to 104 degrees for an hour or so - and then zapped. Dr. Taylor has been using this technique for a long time now, including clinical trials, with great benefits. She is also just an amazingly learned and kind physician, who took all the time we needed to understand what is going on. She was also confident that she could get the insurance to cover this. Yet another wonderful person God has placed in our path.

As we drove back down to Springfield, we had no secure starting date, nor any word on how the PET scan turned out. Moopy snoozed on and off (thanks to Xanax) while I drove and prayed the phone wouldn't go off in the car. About an hour after we got home, the cell phone rang and it was the nurse at Barnes-Jewish with the PET results. No lymph nodes, no nothing. NED is now a member of our family! Moopy's radiation simulation is on Wednesday, June 10. That is also the day we move into our two-month executive rental out in the 'burbs, with our three doggies. All in all, things have turned out 110% for the best.

I hope this all makes sense. No doubt it would be more coherent if Moopy wrote it herself, but for right now she is physically and emotionally drained. However, she wants to thank you all for all of the support you have given her on the board and via personal message. She feels very bad that she hasn't been there for you and asks me to send you all her love and her gratitude. You are all always in our prayers.

She should be back at full steam in a couple of days - right around the time that her big sister (the fabled Shopping Woman) arrives. And I want to thank you all too, personally, for absolutely everything.

Joe