This post is an update on my mom and how her treatment is going. I don't write about it much on this blog because I keep one for her on a different site. However, I wanted to post a couple of images and the other website does not allow that.
My mom went in on Monday for her radiation follow up. She was having some pain in her left hip so they decided to do a PET scan and see if there was an area there that could be treated with radiation. I liked this idea because I feel the PET scan has been very helpful for us before and it is a reassuring visual to know where the cancer is and where it has or hasn't spread.
This first image is from my mom's PET scan in October. It was on the year anniversary from her diagnosis and there was not much change while on hormone replacement therapy.
So, what you are looking at is my mom with her arms raised up by her heard. A PET scan uses glucose to create the black spots. The brain, heart, stomach, kidneys, and urinary tract all pick up glucose and are not cancer spots, but the other black marks are cancer cells that have picked up the glucose. If you look at the image you will notice that almost the entire spine is black, there are many spots in her ribs, and even a lot of places in her pelvis, legs, arms, and elbows.
Now here is the image after being on chemotherapy for 4 months.
It is like looking at a different person. The spine, hips, legs, arms, ribs, pelvis are almost clear. The larger black spots are the kidneys, stomach, urinary tract and bladder, and the brain. I had hopeful expectations for the chemo treatment, but this is amazing. It just proves to me how powerful our God is and how all of our prayers are being heard. Thank you for continuing to walk with us during this fight.
My mom returns to the oncologist next Friday and I will have a more detailed update then about our continued plan for getting rid of this cancer.
Praise God, and thank you for your prayers!
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