Three Month MRI Appointment

[Sue]

Hi Guys,

Thought I'd share my 3 month doctor appointment with you.  Had the MRI July 18th and today was the appointment with Dr. Modha, at noon.  Well, his office called and he and an emergency patient being life-flighted in, so he just wanted to talk with me on the phone and skip the appointment, seeings how he was going to be saving somebodies life then.  Okay by me.  Anyway, he said the MRI showed no swelling or shrinking...just the same AN as it was 3 months ago. He asked about my facial numbness and I said it was still there and he was disappointed it wasn't better. Not as disappointed as me, however!  Anyhoo, he said we'd do this whole MRI thing again in 6 months.  I asked about how much Gy's I had had...so that Phyl would know...and he said 12 Gy on the midline? and 24 Gy on the something something.  I should have written it down.  But apparently, two different doses, one 12Gy and one 24 Gy.  I told him about this lady who had 30 and he said, "Oh, that's a lot."  So, now I wait 6 months.  On another, but related note.  Yesterday on our news they had a story on a local run/walk for cancer and they had a lady who was in the run, being pushed in her wheelchair but she wanted to get up and walk the few steps that she could to cross the finish line (with help) herself. She has a brain tumor. The bad kind. I looked at her and thought...Jeez, Sue, quit your whining.  So you have a metallic taste in your mouth today and it's driving you nuts.  Could be worse. 

vANcouver Sue

[Obita]

Hi Vancouver Sue:

Should it have shrunk this soon?  I don't know much about radiation but I thought I had read it can take quite a while to see any necrosis on film.  Hopefully the thing looks dead at the 9 month mark.

I know what you mean about whining.  My roommate and best friend has Hodgkins Disease.  He has been told that a cure will not happen as his cancer has not responded to any of the known chemos for Hodgkins.  I whine on this board but never to him.

Kathy

[Sue]

Yeah, I don't know why he had me back so soon for the MRI. I thought most people went back at 6 mos.  Hey, I just do what the guy tells me!!   Anyway, I thought maybe it would be bigger by now.  Who knows?  It's just going to do it's own thing and this is a disease ( I hate that word) that requires patience. I just wish it was something that one could sort of forget about until it's time for the re-check. This is so hard, at least for me, to put it on the back burner and forget about it. You wake up and practically the first thing you notice is that familiar HUMMMMM in your ear. My tongue on the left side feels like it's been mildly burned, and the left side of my mouth on the inside is just plain weird.  I know, I'm whining...It just takes an enormous amount of will-power and energy to ignore the symptoms...and I don't have the dizziness, headaches, fullness in the ear (that went away, hooray!) that some do. So, I expect I will eventually learn to live with this tumor (I hate that word, too) but I wish it would happen sooner rather than later. 

Keep Cool!!

vANcouver Sue

[okiesandy]

I ask for a 3 month MRI because mine was fast growing. I know my doctor used to do them at three months because of swelling and he wanted to see what it was doing. Now he does them at 6 months.

In my 3 month MRI the tumor was very slightly larger and showed a dark line through the center. At 6 months the tumor was smaller with a darker and wider line through the middle. The cyst that was showing up before treatment is not visible now. It was right on that line.


Hugs and Blessings,

Sandy

[ppearl214]

Sue,

1st, hun, you are on target! Oh, do NOT be discouraged by what you were told!  You and I are both in the same shoes... still early to see any real noticable change.  No further growth, which is great.  I would not expect to see signs of necrosis at this point (for either of us) as it's still too soon.  I have further info re: my Gy as I had a BIG meeting at BI yesterday (heck, they brought in 1/2 of Harvard Med Residents in Radiaion Oncology... had 12 of us packed in a small exam room)... my post separate here. 

Sue, girly, you are doing fantastic!!!!!!!!!  Remember the mantra... day by day, inch  by inch!  You are on the right track!

xoxoxoxoox