One Treatment Down...

...and four more to go. 

So today was Meighan's first course of Implant Radiation, and according to her radiologist, "things went exactly as planned." I'm going to keep this one short because I don't exactly know what was going back in the operating room, and Meighan was out so she doesn't know much either.

The highlight of the day was speaking with Dr. Duckert immediately after the procedure.  He came out and let me know that up to this point, things are going better than planned, and that today went exactly as planned.  The quick response of Meighan's cancer cells to radiation has made not only Meighan and I extremely happy, but it has made Dr. Duckert extremely happy.  The small size of her tumor makes it "easier" and less risky for him to perform the implant radiation treatment.  When it was a larger tumor it was pushing up against the bladder, ureters, and colon, which is potentially risky. 

Anyway, Dr. Duckert said three times that he is "very, very happy with how things are going."  Additionally, he let me know that Meighan's tumor is "virtually nonexistent."  Obviously those are things that made me extremely happy.

Meighan here and I too am extremely happy to hear those things.  If you ask Dr. Duckert, it's all him and his radiation plan that has led to my tumor becoming "virtually nonexistent."  If you ask Dr. Morris, it's all him and his chemo plan that has led to my tumor becoming "virtually nonexistent."  (These men really just like to toot their own horns...they know better than to think it was just them.)  In all actuality, it was both of them and their plans along with all of your prayers that has led to my tumor becoming "virtually nonexistent."  This is exactly what we wanted, but we aren't done yet!  I still have four implant treatments to get through to make sure this tumor is nonexistent at the end.  From there, the next 18 months are crucial.  Chances of re-occurrence are highest in the following 18 months.  Therefore, I will have frequent checks every 3 months, and continue to have faith and hope knowing that the best results (meaning the best long term results) happen to those that respond quickest to treatment (and I'm one of those that responded quickly to treatment!)