Just a little bit

We were hoping to share miraculous news today, but we are still glad to be sharing good news: Levi's tumor is shrinking! What was once 22x18x13 cm is now 22x16x12 cm. That's not a huge difference, but it is progress in the right direction, so we'll take it. 

The doctor explained that every little bit of shrinkage helps make a successful surgery more possible. If we tried to do surgery today, Levi would lose his left kidney, his spleen and likely part of his pancreas. The more we can get the tumor to shrink and develop a hard rind (another effect of chemo), the more we improve the surgery outcome. 

We also got some unexpected news today. There is a cancerous lymph node near Levi's left shoulder. Apparently it was caught on the last scan, but we have no memory of being told about it. It, too, has shrunk since last time, going from 2.8 cm to 1.3 cm. So while we're disappointed to learn about another cancer spot, we're grateful it seems to be responding so well to chemo!

We didn't get an update on the lung spot today, other than it is more clearly visible this time since the fluid on his lung was just drained last week. Hopefully they were able to get a more accurate measurement to keep an eye on it for next time.

While we were waiting for the doctor Levi said "man, I really feel bad." And then he put on this smile. He's a trooper!

The last round of chemo was especially tough on Levi, so we will be backing off to a 28-day chemo cycle instead of 21 days. The extra recovery time between cycles and additional medications to manage side effects will help him stay strong for surgery. And, bonus, he will feel better for the holidays!

We'll move ahead with two more rounds of chemo (the next of which will begin November 18th) followed by another check up in January. We're now praying that the tumor continues to shrink and the tingling in Levi's hands and ringing in his ears doesn't worsen. If the tingling and ringing worsen, we will stop chemo after round 4 even if the tumor continues to shrink. However, if it is shrinking and those side effects haven't worsened, we will continue with the full 6 rounds of chemo.

We're grateful for our comfortable hotel in Houston where Levi has been able to rest well between appointments. He's finally starting to feel slightly better as we're getting into week three of this round. We're looking forward to more good days ahead!