Friday, February 10, 2012

Back on Track!

Phew!  After bouncing around the rim, the ball has dropped in!  Just in the nick of time, too (to order the chemo drugs for Monday that will keep AJ's treatment on schedule.)  Andrew's pet scan has been declared "negative." This means the treatment is working and should be continued!  Hallelujah! 
For those of you who like numbers: Andrew's pet scan came back with an SUV ("something uptake value") of 2.1 on the scale of 1-15. The SUV measures how much "cancer" is in the system based on how "lit up" the pet scan is.  For comparison, back in December, AJ's SUV was >23! Normally a 1 or a 2 is considered cancer-free.  On Tuesday, AJ formally signed on to a Johns Hopkins trial that would change his treatment to a more intense chemo - if the pet scan was above 2.  Since 2.1 is just a hair above 2.0, we needed to hear from the Hopkins doctor that he believes that the current treatment is working and should not be intensified.  This morning we learned that everyone involved votes for continuing the existing treatment plan.  (If you are confused by this last paragraph, don't worry, you are not alone.)
So the bottom line is that AJ is well on his way to being cancer free!  Round four will seem so much easier knowing that there are significant results already.  And each time we can prepare a bit better - the doctor practically ordered Andrew to work from home today (he's still battling a nasty cold) and to take as much Tylenol PM next week to insure that he sleeps well.  In the meantime Andrew will spend the weekend doing what he loves - coaching basketball, playing tennis, and convincing me to hike on Sunday despite a cold & windy forecast.

4 comments:

  1. What wonderful news! We were so happy to get the update earlier from Emily. Praise God for His healing hand and all the answered prayers.

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  2. From Eric:
    For all in the Jones family,and extended family,this is a wonderful testimony to the power of prayer in our lives. For all 13 young grandchildren it is a very teachable moment that will guide their Christian walk as they go through trials in their lives.Praise God!

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  3. Wow, this is terrific news. Congratulations to you all! Thanks so much for the update. The day has just gotten a bit brighter. Warmest to your family, Rhonda

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