Continued tumor stability and more steroid adjustments

We are giving thanks once again for another good MRI on Wednesday showing continued tumor stability. Is this God hearing and answering prayers? Is it effective CCNU chemotherapy twelve months ago? Is it great results from ongoing therapies with chiropractor Jim Augustine? Is it Susan’s dual Grade III & Grade IV cell types responding well to what we’ve thrown at them? The answer is yes in general – and God is keeping us overall. We’re just thankful.
 

As we reviewed Susan’s recent steroid withdrawal with Dr Nghiemphu, she cautioned us that Susan’s natural production of cortisol probably will not resume, so replacement steroids may be a permanent remedy. I didn’t know this was a possibility, but I guess it makes sense after 3-4 years on the drug. While we haven’t ruled out another attempt to taper off, for now we’re shifting from Decadron to Prednisone since it’s milder and has fewer side effects.
 

Susan faithfully mugs for me at Junior's Deli before we nosh.

We also discussed Susan’s painful and swollen lower legs that came on with the last taper and the possibility of a blood clot in her right leg – she’ll have a Doppler ultrasound scan tomorrow. We left Westwood with a lunch stop at Junior’s Deli and were greeted by owner Marvin Saul when he checked in to make sure our meal was okay. It was. He’s a nice man.

Like I said, we’re thankful. Nothing’s changed medically speaking about Susan’s brain cancer being incurable or the expectation it will progress again someday; but with each two-month span that passes with stable MRIs, we have more time for Susan to get physically & mentally stronger and for us to enjoy the gift of life together. If she were cured tomorrow and we resumed our former lives to accumulate anniversaries and silver hair, we’d be living with a greater sense of God’s presence and the awareness that earthly life is temporary and Heaven is our home. We’re doing that anyway.