Today I met with my radiation oncologist...we learned a lot.

    Well, if you've ever had neurosurgery then you know that the big pay-off for getting your noodle popped open is the pathology report.  The pathology report is not a treat, but it is very specific data, and it explains specifically to  you, in very scientific language what they plucked out of your thinker.  

     You also get to know what type of brain cell has gone awry and what "grade" your tumor is ranked at on the W.H.O. brain tumor scale.  This is all very important information because all of these details and reports direct what will happen to you and yourself.

   This afternoon we found out that my tumor is the same grade and type as it was the last time they got some pieces of it onto a slide.  It's a "pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma" (PXA) and it's a grade II on the WHO-scale.  This is GOOD NEWS as far as my situation goes becuase PXAs can morph into a higher (more serious and aggressive) grades, as was a concern from my January MRI.  

      Of course, it doesn't make everything better to get this sort of good news, but I tell you what kid, if Dr. W, my newest doctor who is a radiation oncologist, had to tell us that my brain had made a Grade III or IV tumor, it'd be a new level of horror.  It'd be sad Laskyland with more tears and we'd need to draw the shades and stare at the wall for a few days until who knows what.    

      So, my radiation oncologist seems super duper awesome.  He has loads of experience...working with children and their brain tumors.  You might be thinking, hey Lasky, you're good looking and all, but you're a ripe ol' 33 years old honey, you ain't no kid.  Well, guess what?  Bite me, because I must've found the fountain of youth somewhere, because PXAs are usually found in the minds of the young!  Yeah, so Dr. W knows what we're going to do, and I wasn't too surprised because Dr. Polin had mentioned this as a possible plan.  I'm going to get 6 weeks of fractionated radiation treatments.  6 weeks for 5 days a week I'll go in there and get the "area of a grapefruit" zip zapped all with some fancy radiation for about 10 or 15 minutes.  As my PXA  was a Grade II, I don't have to take the chemo pills, the best treatment is the radiation only as far as they've figured out.

     So, lots of folks have been asking, "Did they get the whole thing out?", well, my best answer is that they got out as much as they hoped, but they can't say they got the whole thing out because you never know if there are some astrocytes chillin' out who have some of that goofy PXA DNA looking to make more of themselves sometime.  I think the radiation will get started in about 2 weeks, there are a few appointments beforehand.  If it's interesting (it sounds like it will be, I get a custom made mask!!!) I'll be sure to fill you in.  

    Thanks for reading !!!!  xoxoxox, Sara L.

Somethings to look forward to for you and I:

  *Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10 o'clock I have an appointment at my neurosurgeon's for my post-op!  I get the 22 staples taken out of my head and then I can finally wash my hair.  
      I realize many of you partied real hard and haven't bathed since St. Patty's Day due to drunkenness, but for me, its a different story and I have been making eyes at my shampoo bottle for about 4 days now.

 

2nd Week after noodlesurgery....I emerge!

2nd week afternoodlesurgery2

St. Patty's Day Surgery--- a pictorial of the 1st week

NoodleSurgeryStPattys2011: Week 1

Basically....

        Thankfully, Gary D. was available on short notice to visit Dr. Polin with me.  Dr. Polin is a kind, thoughtful and brilliant neurosurgeon.  He apologized for calling me in so quickly, because he could tell that I was basically barely breathing (it took Mariah 4 times to get a blood pressure reading that was low enough that she was okay with Dr. Polin seeing on my chart, apparently he was concerned that she had called me in so quickly as well and they were both knowing that they'd have an uptight Lasky on their hands)....

         Dr. Polin explained that the sliver that wasn't able to be removed in 2009 was growing and he was concerned.   We got to see all the fancy MRI pictures from that morning.  Long story short, I was going to be getting another noodlesurgery...there were a lot of details....

      Gary D. took me home and we sat and I had to ask him if that had really happened, and he said yes it had, and also he was good about just sitting there with me while I felt in another dimension, I really didn't want to tell my parents or anyone else who cares about me because this kind of stuff isn't good news.  I found a place of acceptance for some moments, it was amazing to be there and I'm glad that it happened because even short moments when the sun breaks out are pretty sweet if you take a moment to notice them.

     

      Here's the email I sent to some folks, notice how long it took me to finally have the guts to tell people:

date Wed, Feb 16, 2011, 10:17 PM subject neuro news....

Hey ya'll,
  Want to let you know that I'm gearing up to have another noodlesurgery on March 17th, with the goal to fully remove the tumor in my brain, my right temporal lobe to be specific.  I had my yearly MRI on January 28th.  My first surgery 2 years ago did not remove the whole tumor, and my neurosurgeon wants to have another go at it.  The remaining mass isn't going wild, but it is clearly progressing and from what my neuro team says is that its boundaries seem more defined so that it is best to go in again, this time with total removal, let's hope.  Lotsa hope happening, put me on your prayer list or whatever else you may have for delivering positive intentions toward others pretty please.
  While at first I've been fairly numb to the idea, I'm feeling positive about the plan and am going to go for it.  I could have scheduled the surgery earlier, but I want to get my classroom/life in order to be able to be most ready for the recovery time.  It is also possible that if the pathology comes back differently from the last time that I would go through radiation or chemo in order to (hopefully) bring this to a close.  I've been really not wanting to tell many folks about this, as much as its hard for me, I know that you who love me also go through a lot through this.  If you have any more questions or wonderings, please ask me and I will do my best.  I have more details, but don't want to write you a novel.
  Feel free to let anyone you like about my news.  I have not been telegraphing things as I'm still working on digesting it and also it is very hard for me to see the concerned looks on folks' faces when I've told them in person.  If you want to help, please the best would be to send me positive vibes and to stay in touch. 

   I hope that you are all doing well!
xoxox,
Sara L.

The birds were so busy on January 28th, like they were trying to make it a regular day.

    For me it was the phone call that set time still.  It was mid-morning, January 28th, a Friday.  I was at the store picking foods out to make soup with for later.  It was just a week after payday and I was splurging.
   I had the day off from work.  The occasion was my annual MRI that was earlier that morning.  The MRI itself was a breeze, I really don't mind them at all and usually get a good nap in during their percussive purrs.  I'd only had one other "yearly MRI" before, the year before of course, about a year after my brain got fresh air in January 2009 and this turned into "normal".
   I was doing some math comparing dried mushrooms versus fresh, when my phone rang.  It was shocking, unreal when I read "KP MRI" on the screen.  I answered, using a goofy device that I use so I don't put my cell to my head.  A freindly and recognizable voice on the other end of the phone introduced herself, of course I knew who she was, darling Mariah, the nurse at my neurosurgeon's office.  After I responded by audibly swearing, rather than saying a usual "oh, how nice to hear from you!", she explained that Dr. Polin" had asked to see me as soon as possible...could I come by at 11:30?" *that gave me just an hour*, "they had a cancellation or you could come on Monday," she said to reassure me.  I gave my cart to a friendly employee and numbly explained that I wouldn't be able to buy the items.  They were cheerful about it and said they'd put things away for me and wished me the best of luck.
   A memory I have of that day is how busy the birds were in the parking lots that day.  As I walked out of the store into a sunny-ish January morning, the birds were so busy doing their birdly business, I really did think for a moment that they were trying to help me, to distract me from the air and pause that the phone call had given.

 

             

MRI from January 28th, 2011