the roller coaster ride of our lives...

James and I spent the day at the hospital and came away feeling...um...with mixed feelings.

Long story short: the results of James's PET are inconclusive. As Dr. Einhorn says, the PET can tell you about the presence of something, but it can't tell you what it is.

Step one is to procure the images from previous scans so that they can clearly compare what is (or isn't) happening with James's hip. I guess until now they've been working with reports from the scans rather than actual images. When IU radiology has a chance to look things over, they will give us their opinion on what is happening with his hip. If the latest PET image is brighter (indicating higher metabolic uptake) or larger (showing growth) then they will conclude "cancer." We expect to have results on that by Friday (March 4th).

Step two is to have a bronchoscopy. This will be scheduled for next week. This just got scheduled as I am writing for Tuesday (March 8th). The pulmonologist we met with today specializes in lung malignancies, so I believe we are in good hands. He says that based on the images he saw today he cannot determine if James has a recurrence of cancer or if it is effects from radiation.  (Apparently the whole radiation thing can last a very, very long time. James is still within the window of normal for length of time for symptoms/fallout.) Sadly, he did not mention anything today about a laser (Dang!), but we did talk about using a balloon. (Cool, but less so.)  We expect to have preliminary results from that on Tuesday.

Step 3 would be to determine - in the event that James has cancer - if James has a mutation. There is one final, very rare one that hasn't been tested for. In the (unlikely) event that he tests positive, he goes on an oral medication that is well tolerated and tends to keep the cancer at bay for....a bit.

In the event that all else fails, Step 4 would be to begin immunotherapy at the end of March. James is one of the closest matches they've ever had in terms of potential effectiveness, so Dr. Einhorn believes that should we need to go this route James is looking at (a few) years.

SO...I know, friends, a lot to take in. Not really what we were expecting to hear either. Didn't think you could die from a roller coaster, did you? In the meantime, we again ask you to do what you do best - pray. Pray that James experiences peace and joy in the midst of discouragement. Pray against fear and lack of faith on our part. Pray that God will use all of this - ALL.OF.THIS - for His glory. We know so little...but what we do know is that God is sovereign, He IS using this for His glory, and that everything He does in our lives (everything!) passes through His almighty, tender, loving hands. We (feebly) trust, and He leads, comforts, and (abundantly) blesses.

*thank you*