Collin has been feeling fine since his Gamma Knife procedure on December 30. The pin holes have healed, and the stitch in the right side of his forehead is dissolving. He's also been tolerating his daily chemo and other meds very well, with no major side effects. His hair is starting to grow back, so his head is covered in downy fuzz. I envy his energy levels; he's like a little Energizer bunny who just keeps going and going, no matter what is thrown at him treatment-wise, and he does it all with a smile on his face!
The tumor board at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC had approved Collin for their 3F8 treatment after the MRI on December 9 showed the new nodule was gone. He would have to be four weeks past the Gamma Knife procedure to start the treatment, and his oncologist didn't want to stop his maintenance chemo until he had been on it for six weeks. Both of these time periods are finished on January 30. Collin needs to be off chemo for 21 days before starting the 3F8 treatment, which means he could start towards the end of February. There are some other things that have to be taken care of before he can start the treatment: placement of the omaya reservoir, a CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) flow study, and determining insurance coverage. The omaya reservoir will be surgically placed by Collin's neurosurgeon at PS Hershey Children's Hospital, but before that is done we have to meet with another doctor at MSKCC. We found out today that she can see Collin on the 17th, and he will have another MRI of his brain and spine that morning before we meet with the doctor. So, we'll head to NYC sometime Monday after Collin's clinic appointment, and we'll be at MSKCC bright and early Tuesday morning. I'll update as soon as I can after our little trip!
I leave you with wishes for a happy, HEALTHY new year, and a request for continued prayers for all of the little warriors fighting cancer, including Cole (Fight Back! for Cole) who has been having a rough few weeks, Emily (www.EmilyHubbel.com) whose parents received very difficult news recently, and Talon, a sweet baby boy battling Medullobastoma who has come home on hospice, as well as the countless families who've lost their precious children to this beast and the survivors who have been left with lifelong physical and neurological challenges from their cancer treatments. Let's continue to raise awareness in 2012 so childhood cancer research can get more of the funding it desperately needs, because kids get cancer too!
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