"...today was so sweet"

Thank goodness the rules of journalistic integrity and basic good writing don't apply to me.  For those of you too doggone lazy to click your way over to Holly McRae's Caring Bridge site, dedicated to her daughter Kate and the journey through the world of pediatric brain cancer... Well, allow me to pilfer Holly's latest journal entry in its entirety. without failing to steal even a single syllable as she shares Kate's latest MRI results:

I find myself at a loss for words and overwhelmed with quiet emotion. We met with Kate's oncologist to review the MRI today and received the incredible news that the MRI looked the same as the last one! There are no new tumors, and the two recurrent, metastatic ones are not visible on the scan anymore and there has been no change in the original tumor bed. All very good news!

It was the first time we even talked much about where we go from here at an appointment. We did decide we are going to continue on the same treatment for now, and continue with 2 month scans. And somehow that sounds wonderful. 

Very rarely have we looked at Kate's brain scans and smiled. Oftentimes we have viewed them through the cloud of tears. Not today. On the images you can see the surgical area, and the changes that have inevitably taken place in her brain. But the fact that the original tumor area has not changed most definitely evoked a huge smile. And of course we asked, "do you believe that the remnant in that area could still be cancer, or rather changes to her brain?". He replied we haven't proved it isn't cancer, but we haven't proved it is either. However, he would lean more heavily toward it being scar tissue, as opposed to cancer. Of course what we wanted to hear. 

So I inevitably know people will wonder what this all means, for now and for the long term. First, it means we are incredibly grateful for more time with our sweet girl. And we are thanking Jesus for that sweet gift. It also means the radiation had a profound effect on the metastatic cancer lesions. And there is the possibility that the area of change they noted last February in the original tumor area is simply changes to the brain from treatment. Here is the hard part. We have still only heard a 5% survival. Talk about hard to digest! However, we didn't even go there today. We did talk briefly about possible other treatments in the future, if need be. And the reality that if these stable scans continue at some point we will need to stop her current treatment. Most attempt to stay on it one year. Some have gone longer. No one knows how long kids can stay on it. So we will cross that bridge when we get there. But that will be a great crossroads to get to.

For tonight, we celebrate one more step. One more sweet victory. This is the fourth consecutive scan with no change in the original tumor, and the disappearance of the 2 new tumors since the full brain radiation. For tonight we will leave thoughts of the future alone and celebrate the sweet grace we have been given today. Thank you for persisting in prayer with us. We have a long road still ahead. And yet today was so sweet.