Day 23 in Sam’s cycle….END OF TREATMENT SCAN!

We arrived at Riley to have Sam’s port accessed and then headed over to the MRI department for Sam’s 10:45am appointment.  They were running behind, so after waiting in the waiting room for a little over an hour, we were called back around noon.  Eddie, the MRI guy, had Sam change into some oh so fashionable hospital pants (his shorts had metal snaps on them) and positioned him on the MRI table.

Sam’s end of treatment scan was a full brain, full spine scan.  This is a baseline scan to compare to the scan at the start of his treatment and to act as a reference for future scans.  This type of MRI lasts TWO HOURS!  Sam was such a trooper, doing it without sedation and keeping perfectly still.  He amazes me.  I don’t know that I could hold perfectly still for that long.

After the scan, it was back up to the Hem/Onc Department to meet with Dr. Pradhan.  After the radiology department reviewed the MRI, the results were in.  CLEAN SCAN!  HOORAY!  This was such great news!  This scan didn’t worry me, for I knew that Sam had just endured eight rounds of chemo and was confident it had taken care of any lingering cancer cells that might be floating around in his body.  Yes. I had total confidence that this scan would be clean.  It’s the future scans, the ones that take place the farther we get away from rounds of chemo, that I’m sure will make me a nervous wreck.  But I have faith and hope that all future scans will be clean as well.  And it was time to celebrate!

Before we left, Sam made a stop at the Beads of Hope cart to retrieve one of his last beads…the end of treatment bead.  During Sam’s treatment, he received a bead for each process he went through during his treatment.  There are beads for MRI’s, beads for blood transfusions, beads for chemo, beads for clinic visits (he got a lot of those) beads for surgery, beads for hospital stays, beads for good days, beads for bad days, beads for holidays…..so many different beads for each step of the process.  When he began his Beads of Hope, he received his initials and a small silver bead that simply read “Hope.”  On Thursday he received another important bead-a butterfly.  How symbolic that this particular bead, the end of treatment bead, is a butterfly.  Just as a caterpillar begins his journey as one type of species, and soon is transformed into a totally different, beautiful creature-we feel we have undergone the same transformation.  Not only did Sam begin this journey with a cancerous brain tumor in his body and is now finishing treatment with no evidence of disease, he has undergone an emotional transformation as well.  We all have.  We are not the same people we were 14 months ago. How could we be?  We have learned many things about ourselves and others through this process.  We like to think we have become a more kinder, more understanding, more loving, more compassionate and a more faith filled version of our former selves.  This is not a journey we would wish on anyone, but do like who we have become.  Things that used to be important seem so small and insignificant now.  We truly don’t sweat the small stuff and are even more grateful for life’s simple pleasures.

On Thursday, September 2nd, Sam will return to Riley again for another milestone…surgery to remove his port.  He will be put under and be in surgery for about and hour or so and will be able to go home the same day.  Afterward, he will go up to the third floor to the Riley Hem/Onc department for his end of treatment celebration and the ringing of the bell.  We are so looking forward to it.  Stay tuned for some photos of the big day at Riley!

We were SOOOOOOOO happy and on such a high after Sam’s super end of treatment MRI scan that we were floating on Could 9!  And because of this high and state of euphoria, we were easily swayed and talked into something we were not yet ready to do.  Yes.  It’s true.  We caved and did this…..

A new puppy!  Meet Miss Roxy.  Or Foxy Roxy or Roxy Rue depending on the day.  She is a twelve week old Boston Terrier and is a little sweetheart.  The boys are having so much fun with her when she isn’t biting at their toes.  :)  The next morning Jere and I were looking at each other scratching our heads saying, “What have we done??!”  It is true- Champ’s passing effected us all in a way we didn’t expect, but we had vowed to wait and be dog free for awhile.  So much for that idea.

We had forgotten how much work goes into training a puppy.  But it’s been worth it when we see how much joy she is bringing the boys!

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but
let God transform you into a new person by changing the
way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will
for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Until next time,

Erica