Treatment Plans

It's been a busy couple of weeks since we first got the MRI showing that the tumor in Meg's head had returned.  We consulted a neuro-oncologist at the University of Washington, Meg's radiation oncologist, Meg's surgeon (Dr. Jost) and finally with the people at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Neuro-Oncology Branch, whom we had visited while back East last Spring.

We were torn between the relative merits of surgery to remove as much tumor as possible, versus Cyberknife treatment to kill it with radiation. The experts seemed pretty evenly divided, but we were swayed by the NIH people, with their wealth of experience. We also realized that surgery gave the greatest flexibility to cope with the parts of Meg's brain which receive speech, some of which are on the right (tumor) side, presumably because she's left-handed.

Meg and her surgeon, Dr. Sarah Jost

Here's the schedule:

• Thursday, met with Dr. Haltiner (Neuropsychologist) who will prepare Meg for, and administer:
• Her Wada test on Friday, which checks for speech activity in the right hemisphere by temporarily turning it off!
• On Monday evening she gets some MRI's
• Our son Nick will arrive on Friday night, and our daughter Elspeth on Sunday or Monday
• Surgery will be next week, probably on Tuesday, and Meg is expected to be in the hospital for 3 to 5 days, and expects to be off work for ~ 6 weeks.
• She may need Cyberknife radiation for bits the surgeon can't remove.
• We'll probably go back to the NIH in about a month to consult them about further treatment possibilities.

Meg did so well with surgery 15 months ago that we have every confidence that she will do great this time.

(and here are some happier times)

The Northwest Clarinet Choir performing  Aker Bilk's "Stranger on the shore"  last Sunday, Brad Stevens, soloist. Meg, in her black hat, can be seen in the foreground,

And she'd just grown enough hair to warrant a haircut!

February ski trip on Iron Horse Trail