Here Comes the Next Thing...

Last time Kim sent an update she said we were in the process of making a huge choice... The choice was between having another surgery to remove more lymph nodes followed by radiation, or skipping the extra surgery altogether and just starting radiation.

This was a difficult decision but we feel really good about our selection. She will not do an additional lymph node surgery at this time and will just begin radiation immediately.

Lots of factors were considered when making the choice, and may doctors were consulted in the process. In fact, at the Hoag tumor board, 20 doctors showed up to view all the details of Kim’s case. They were presented the whole timeline of her journey, and the overall consensus was that she should not do further surgery. (This even included the Medical Director of breast surgery at Hoag, so it was kind of hard to pick the surgery route when the head of surgery advised against it.)

So with that choice behind us, it is time to focus on the next step which is radiation. Before radiation can begin, she has to do a simulation which includes a CT scan and other procedures to help them make an exact plan of attack for the actual radiation. They want to find the best possible angles to shoot the radiation beams as to avoid as many of her vital organs as possible. Their guess is they will have no choice but to radiate a portion of one of her lungs but they’re hopeful it won’t cause lasting damage.

One of the requirements was for her to be able to get her arms in the right position over her head before she could do the simulation, and she has been going to physical therapy since her surgery in order to give her that range of movement. She’s finally able to do it!

She is actually getting the CT scan right now and I’m in the waiting room typing this.

When this is over, we’ll schedule her first radiation appointment. That will begin a 6-week process of showing up 5 days a week to get radiated.

Thanks all for your continued thoughts and prayers as we embark on this seemingly never ending journey.

-Kenny