Dear Brothers & Sisters,
What an exhausting week and the latest trial is daunting to say the least. My youngest daughter, Michela, had her quarterly MRI. Everything ran late, which didn't help. My wife and daughters arrived in the Medical Center at 10:00, and Michela's MRI at the Women's Pavillion was to begin at 11:30. It didn't get underway until after 12:30. Her oncologist appointment was to be at 1:30 - they didn't get seen until after 3:00. The oncologist spent over an hour with them. He is still concerned about an area surrounding the original surgery site. This area *could* be scar tissue, but it could also be new growth. It does appear to be slightly larger than it did at the last scan. He was going to bump her scans to every 6 months, but this has him concerned enough that he wanted to see her again in 4 months. Since he is going to be out of the country in October, her next MRI is set for November 2. The tumor in her breast has gotten larger. He set an appointment with a surgeon for next Thursday. A biopsy will determine whether or not immediate surgery is needed.
Lastly, due to new research on the extremely rare cancer that Michela had, he has ordered further genetic testing. She had genetic testing done 2 years ago, but this is something very specific that they want to test for. Apparently, there is a specific genetic component that some of the children with this type of cancer have in common. This can lead to other cancers later in life, specifically in nerves throughout the body - the auditory system, nerves in the spine and in the arms and legs. If she tests positive for this particular abnormality, she will need to begin regular full-body scans which requires sedation and being in the machine for 6+ hours.
So, not horrible news, but not the greatest either. Michela is really feeling down. She was hoping to have a normal, hospital-free summer, and instead it looks like we will be spending a lot of time seeing various specialists. We are trying to stay positive and are praying for the best possible outcome.
Thank you all again so much for lifting us up in prayer.
We couldn't get through this without our faith and the support of our family and friends!
Your Brother In Christ’s Passion,
Michael
P.S. - If you FACEBOOK Michela’s story can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/MichelaPrayerMarauders
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