Our First Trip To Houston: 4/1

Well, our first trip to Houston reminds me again why I'm so happy Dad initially met with a doctor in College Station- the medical center is MUCH bigger and MUCH more confusing than I realized; Not to mention my blood pressure instantly rises when I step foot in any hospital or doctor's office, then add the stress of traffic, parking garages, figuring out what floor a doctor is on- I think it's even more clear that I'm a high stress individual.

Many people have asked me, "Why did y'all not go to MD Anderson/Houston to begin with?" Well, first the treatment for this particular type of brain tumor would have been the same in College Station and at MD Anderson- 6 weeks radiation and chemotherapy. And to be honest, MD Anderson would have initially done a biopsy to determine what the tumor was, but our Neurosurgeon recommended we remove as much of the tumor as he could immediately- and thank God we did. Dad had a blood clot the size of the tumor when he went into surgery, a blood clot that, if left in his brain for just a biopsy, would have caused a major stroke, a stroke that I'm not sure Dad would have survived. And on top of all the reasons above, Dad wanted to be in College Station. We wanted this treatment process to be as comfortable for him as possible, and we all knew we had a vote in it all, but his Oncologist, Dr. Fleener, told us Dad had 2 votes. We didn't even need one vote, we were going to do whatever Dad wanted to do- and Dad wanted College Station. 

After our last appointment with Dr. Fleener (who let me add is hands down one of the most positive, amazing and just downright wonderful doctors I've met), she wanted us to meet with a Neuro Oncologist in Houston to look at other treatment options for Dad. I appreciated her honestly and aggressiveness when it came to treating Dad's cancer, so here we are with a trip to Houston to meet with Dr. New. 

You hear 'Oncologist' and it brings a lot of fear and uneasiness to anyone, I think at this stage I'm numb to feeling that way. We've met with so many doctors, I've been to so many different hospitals (not without my usual feeling like I'm about to faint), and I've heard all the terrible statistics, although those don't seem to phase me much anymore, as this is just another step in our journey- hopefully a step towards remission. 

Dr. New is, well, she is experienced (that's my nice was of saying she's an older doctor), and she is very well educated! She agrees with everything we have been doing with Dr. Fleener and wants us to wait until the end of April for our next MRI to see if she wants to add any additional treatment to what Dad is doing. It was just nice to hear a second opinion and get established with her for potential future treatment options. She works directly with MD Anderson and has more treatment options for Dad, more than I thought we had, which gives me hope. 

My daily devotional was absolutely perfect today: "Accept each day as it comes, and find Me in the midst of it all." Taking everything one day at a time, and finding the good in it all- or at least I'm trying really hard! I think I'm still off of this 'high' from 'Run For The Rose'- being surrounded by so many people with the same passion and focus on finding a cure for Brain Cancer. I honestly can't describe how it feels for a complete stranger to give you a hug after sharing your story, a story they can relate to as their loved one battled the same type of cancer. I have read all of the 'Heroes' on the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation page, and I love when I meet the family of a Hero that I've read, a family that understands our battle on a completely different level. 

I wish I would have told his family that I read their son's story on the 'Heroes' section and his quote was something that has been engraved in my mind, and something I share all the time. The story came from Michael Piatt: "During one of his first visits to MD Anderson, a nurse entered the room. Pinned to her shirt was a button that read "Cancer Sucks". Michael, although suffering from pain, softly began to chuckle. He then said, "Yes; cancer sucks, but God is good." And he was right- cancer does suck, but God has truly been good throughout it all!

Continue the prayers, continue the thoughts, and we will continue to BTHO Brain Cancer!