No more chemo!

Well, Christmas came early for Wes this year! We went in on December 3rd for Wes' MRI and three and a half hours later we were done. That was such a long wait! I was so tired and those waiting chairs are sooo uncomfortable, but I managed to have a couple of cat naps anyway. I just hope I didn't snore! Actually I didn't care if I would have fallen asleep with my mouth wide open and drool running down my chin...OK don't panic, that didn't happen, but I really wouldn't have cared if it had because I was so tired.
I had been battling a severe tension headache and it had just sucked the life out of me. Finally Wes was called in and I left the waiting area in the MRI department. I just can't stand the sound of that machine humming. I wandered around the little store they have across the hall and finally landed up in a small sitting area. There's a group of tables and chairs here where you can just sit and watch people. I am a people watcher and enjoy seeing all the different people walking by on their way somewhere, who knows where.
Some are in a huge hurry with their heads down, intent on putting one foot in front of the other. Yet others are covered from head to toe in winter apparel still shivering from an outside walk in the cold. Small groups of co-workers smiling and sharing a coffee on the run. Interesting world we have.
Wes walked out of the MRI department on his way to find me (he did know where to look by the way) but, before he could get to me he ran into Dr. Schroeder who immediately stopped to say 'hi'. Wes was pleased that the doctor even remembered him, after all, we only see him once every three months. He pointed at Wes and asked when he was supposed to see him next and Wes quickly replied "Tomorrow!"
"OK " and with a quick wave he said "I'll see you tomorrow!"
Well, I had a restless night and Wes of course, as per usual, slept like a baby. The next day we drove in and after Wes had his blood test we walked down the hall to the Brain Tumour Clinic. We had barely filled out the usual questionnaire when they called his name. We moved down the hall into room 16, the same room we had been in three months prior and sat down inside to wait.
We talked and laughed a bit, but deep down I was anxiously waiting for the doctor to finally walk through the door and give us the results. Dr. Schroeder is a 'shoot from the hip' kind of guy, my favorite kind! No sense in dragging out any good or bad results, just get it over with!
Well, after our short interview with Shelley our nurse Dr. Schroeder came in. He is very matter of fact and with a quiet grunt he sat down in the office chair and quickly flipped open Wes' chart. I'm not sure why he bothers doing that because he never really looks at the papers inside. He doesn't really smile, he sort of grimaces. He doesn't take his eyes off you when he speaks, he watches every move and every reaction. He doesn't waste any time.
"All the doctors have examined every slide from all the MRI's you've had this past year. They have gone through them slide by slide and there has been little or no change in any of them. So, we have decided that you no longer need to continue with chemo." We barely had time to absorb what he had just said when he leaned forward and his eyes squinted shut a bit and said, "Did anyone ever explain to you that the chemo was simply experimental?"
"Um, no" was my reply because Wes was still beaming from the news that he was done with chemo.
"Well, it is. It hasn't been used to treat brain tumours for very long..." he then went into a long explanation of which year it was started and why and what John Hopkins had decided about this type of treatment. Wes was still just sitting beside me smiling and nodding, periodically agreeing with the doctor, but I knew he wasn't really listening all he was thinking about was the fact that he wouldn't have to try and creatively suck down those ugly pills anymore.
The doctor ended with "And if we would go the full two years we would risk Wes developing Leukemia and I don't think you want that." No kidding! "So, we will simply be monitoring you. Every three months you'll come in for an MRI and an appointment to see me, but that's it for now."
He was finished his long dialogue when he started to stare at Wes' t-shirt. He is such a funny little man. It's like he can totally do a complete u-turn in his thought process and stuns himself into silence. Finally he used Wes' chart that he now had in his hand as he stood and he pointed it at Wes' t-shirt and said, "Have you been to Mt. Rushmore or do you just have the t-shirt?"
Wes barely got a "No, we've been there!" But, that's all he got out before Dr. Schroeder began his next conversation about the travels that he and his wife had been on. We spent more time with him talking and laughing as he shared story after story than we had during the actual appointment. His language could use a good dose of Purell, but other than that he is a genuinely funny and caring individual.
We walked out of the clinic, well, I walked and Wes pretty much floated out of there and hasn't really come down since and we then went to Nic's apartment just to sit and absorb everything. It was as if we needed some down time before we continued on.
So, that is where we are at right now. The battle is not over, we're not in denial about that, but does the future look brighter than it did 14 months ago? Oh yeah! Does prayer work? Absolutely! Does it have to be a fancy prayer? Nah, every prayer that's been prayed whether eloquent or not has been heard by God who created us and knows our innermost thoughts and being. We believe every prayer that you have ever uttered and used to intercede for us has been heard and handled by the Master and we know that because we are experiencing the results of it. What else is there to say?

"The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer" Psalm 6:9