It's Working!

From Sharon

Ruth and John returned from a fun, 5-day Caribbean Cruise last week and visited the good doctors at Chapel Hill this week.  Ruth's iron level has been low so she's received one of two iron infusion treatments to bring her iron back up.  She's still receiving monthly injections of Octreotide to help manage her cancer symptoms...a big plus after having to get 3 injections daily.  Thanks partly to the cruise, she's gained about 4 pounds.

In Chapel Hill, she had an MRI done to see if the chemoembolization procedure she had done on the right side of her liver in September had done any good.  She waited around to get the results from the MRI the same day and boy, was it worth it!  The cancer is gone from the treated side of her liver!  Gone!  This is the same liver that was "covered in malignant lesions" when her cancer was originally diagnosed. 

The doctors were very pleased, but seemed to expect such positive results.  Thank goodness for modern medicine and cancer research.  Ruth will be undergoing a second chemoembolization procedure this coming week for the left side of her liver.  Assuming the same wonderful results, her liver should be able to go back to what it does best without a cancer handicap for a long time.  This does not guarantee the cancer won't return as it is originating from the small intestine.  However, the type of cancer in the small intestine is very slow-growing and it doesn't seem to be a major concern at this time.  If it does come back to her liver, the procedure can be repeated.

Ruth feels better prepared for her second procedure and expects to have emotional swings and pain in her side and shoulders for up to two weeks following.  Knowing how well the end justifies the means makes it all worth it though.  Kind of like childbirth. 

Sharon