Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Alan's Houston Update

While I'm sitting in the hotel room doing nothing, I thought, this is the perfect time to update about our dr. appointment. Can you believe it....I'm actually updating the same day. It's a miracle!!!

All in all, it was a pretty good appointment! Dr. Amato was VERY pleased with Alan's progress from these past two months with his new combo treatment. He said it was "astounding" and he also said that is not a word he uses alot, lol. Pretty much all spots in Alan's lungs have either disappeared or shrunk, the spots in the abdomen and bones have shrunk tremendously and apparently there is a spot on Alan's right kidney that we knew nothing about, but it has shrunk as well. Let's talk about this right kidney briefly. I think Alan and I both know that Dr. Amato does not fully give us the full report each time...especially if things are bad. I know he sees us as a young couple and I honestly think Amato thinks we might not need to know everything and maybe we don't, but I like to know everything. That's just how I am. We have never been told about the tumor on the right kidney, but it was there and it was pretty big, but it's shrinking, so that's great. Dr. Amato did say that these results might be all we see with this treatment, but again, that's ok and that's good....stable is the word. Just understand that it is very rare for kidney cancer to just disappear at stage IV. I'm sure it can happen and possibly has, so that's why we are satisfied with stable.

Our only big concern coming from this appointment is Alan's liver. We have been monitoring a spot on Alan's liver for many months now. Well, instead of it shrinking like everything else, it is actually growing. We are scheduled to come back to Houston in 4 weeks for another CT to see how the liver looks. If the liver area has gotten bigger, then Alan will have a biopsy done and we will go from there. We might have to tweak Alan's meds some. You know, nothing can be simple.

But honestly, we feel really good about this appointment! Alan is feeling good so now we just pray that this medicine treatment is right for Alan and he is able to be stable on this for a long time.

2011 is starting off really good. We just pray that all of these good things continue and we pray for complete healing, but hey, with kidney cancer, we will take stable! Praying for all of our kidney cancer friends and all of our cancer fighting friends.
FYI....Ashley County Relay for Life - May 13, 2011 in Crossett this year!!!! YEAAAA
God is good...All the time!

Love and Prayers,
Melissa

1 comment:

Leigh said...

I absolutely love following your blog and I REALLY love when the two of you get great news! Congratulations to the both of you! Praise God. Allen and I don't like finding out later that there's something they've been watching. Tell us about it when you know about it ~ that's our philosophy! So I can understand you being a bit uncomfortable with not being told. At least you know it's shrinking ~ so that's a good thing.

I agree, with kidney cancer, nothing can be simple. Allen hates, absolutely hates getting the "grey" reports as he calls them ~ some good news and some bad news. Sorry that you got the news about the liver spot growing. We will definitely praying that the next set of scans will indicate stability or shrinkage.

It's true ~ with kidney cancer ~ stability is good; however, with God, all things are possible. So I'm praying 2011 will find a CURE for your Alan, for my Allen, and for all our kidney cancer warriors friends and family!

God bless you Melissa and Alan. You are both so very special. Your strength, your courage, your love for the Lord, for one another, and for you family are truly an inspiration and an encouragement not only to those of us in your kidney cancer community but alos to your Christian family. Thank you for sharing your faith and your courage with all of us!

Love and prayers to the both of you ~ Blessings! Leigh

His Anchor Holds!