Persistent.

Yesterday was reassessment testing day at Duke.  Blood work and a bone marrow biopsy, followed by a PET scan, filled out our otherwise boring day.  In case you are interested, the bone marrow biopsy is not really all that bad, but if you have a choice between that and getting a tooth filled, I would recommend you should always go with the filling.  I had a biopsy three months ago that showed the marrow was clean.  I thought they might not do another one this time but they needed to confirm that it was still clean.  The results of that biopsy won't be available until early next week.

The main thing we wanted to find out about was the status of the one persistent lymph node in my abdomen.  The PET scan 3 months ago showed that everything else had been resolved (medical jargon for it is gone).  But that one persistent node was essentially unchanged from it's original shape and size back in June.  Yesterday's PET scan confirmed that everything else is still resolved, but there has again been no change in that one persistent node.  It still looks about the same as it did six months ago when we started.

That wasn't the information that we were hoping to hear, but it is still positive.  The chemo treatments have been very successful at eliminating the original cancer, except for that one node, and keeping everything in check.  And while the persistent node is not going away, it isn't getting any worse either.  All of that is good news.  We go in to see Dr. Beaven next Wednesday to review the test results, and hopefully we will find out more about what other options are available.  We will see what she and Dr. Horwitz, from the Bone Marrow Transplant team, think is the best course of action from here.

Until then, we will stay positive and place our trust in the Great Physician.  He has brought us this far and is not going to abandon us now.

Best wishes to all for a happy and prosperous New Year.