"Continuing on with its 33rd season, you know it, you love it (maybe), the Jason Decent show!"
As continues to be the case, I had my last MRI two weeks ago on...a...Thursday. It may be self evident, but it's generally unwise to make assumptions, so I'll just tell you, MRIs are important. They are important because a Dr. cannot just look at your brain like a bruise on your arm or a cut on your finger. The MRIs provide the clearest image of the actual situation for both Dr. and patient.
But, in addition to this particular MRI detailing the results of the past two months, this MRI also detailed the results of the last year of treatments. A week before the MRI I finished my 12th and final round chemotherapy pills. The MRI would show the status of my head after radiation, after a year of chemotherapy pill rounds, and after daily clinical trial pills.
Early Wednesday morning I went in to see the positive picture. The afternoon of the MRI my Dr. had called to notify me it looked good, but on Wednesday I could take my own good look at the image. The remaining tumor had shrunk, again. I can't do the exact math but the tumor shrunk by a lot in the course of a year. By comparison it used to be larger. Now it's not. I dunno, 1/16th the size of before maybe? Simplified: Less brain cancer = good.
Right now chemotherapy is not considered an effective tool for continuation. I will, however, continue taking the daily clinical trial drug. It produces few side-effects. At least in combination the trial drug seemed to be helping, and now we can determine its effectiveness alone - hopefully it continues to rate as very effective.
My next MRI, in mid-July probably, will detail the current state of things. Until then there's not much more to do other than keep taking my daily pills (and try to be somewhat healthy...). While I'm assured there are plenty of options if the clinical trial pills are no longer effective when on their own, I would just as soon have them be super effective and continue to diminish or even eliminate the tumor. But it's not until the next MRI that we'll actually be able to see. Talk about a cliffhanger... Tune in next time! I will.
