The results are in...

So today has been filled with a lot of waiting. Not knowing the results of the MRI from yesterday and then being unsure of the treatment plan Lucas will be getting has been difficult. But the wait finally ended and we got our answers. First, the MRI clearly shows that the tumor is responding well to chemo. All of the solid tumor growth from the last MRI compared to yesterdays shows they have shrunk considerably. YEAY!!! There are a few pockets of fluid around the spinal area that the doctors aren't really sure about but said they would keep an eye on it. Next, for those of you who aren't familiar with AT/RT, the location of Lucas' tumor is not exactly textbook. Most tumors are found in the brain, spinal cord, or kidneys. Well, Lucas' is somewhat unique in the fact that his is not only in the spinal area but also branches out to the right shoulder/chest area. According to Dr. Brugger's his oncologist, there is a treatment plan for tumors found in the central nervous system (brain, spine) and a different treatment for those found outside of the CNS. And because this tumor is considered to be in both areas, they have to combine the two treatment plans to make sure they get it from all angles. So, basically his treatment will last about 3 months longer than your average AT/RT treatment. So, here's the road map they have laid out for him. We get to go home tomorrow and then be back probably next Thursday (which just happens to be Kaden's first day of school....I know....I'm so bummed) to be admitted. He will then undergo 4 rounds of chemo drugs used in treating the tumors found outside the CNS. The nice thing is that with these being normal doses, he will only be in the hospital for a few days. Then we get to bring him home to recover for a couple of weeks until his counts are back up. We will do this 4 times. Then, he will start his high dose chemo which he will probably do 3 cylcles. He will be in the hospital longer with these rounds because of how harsh they are. He will get a stem cell transplant after each round so that his bone marrow can recover. (Oh that reminds me, he had them collected today and that's a big step. It went well without any major complications. They will be frozen until needed for transplant.) Last he will do radiation therapy for 6 weeks. They want to wait until the very end for this because they want him to grow as much as possible because of the long term side effects that radiation can have on kids this young. So, that's the plan. It's going to be a looooong road but it's all worth it if it can save his life. We are willing to do whatever it takes to fight this battle. Thanks for all of your love and support. I'm so grateful for a day full of good news!!! We have so much to be thankful for.

Shannon