GREAT RESULTS....CLEAR SCANS!!

Gabriella had her "end of treatment" scans yesterday and we got a preliminary reading that EVERYTHING LOOKS CLEAR!!!!!  We are beyond words with happiness and are so blessed that our little girl is beating cancer...or HAS BEATEN CANCER!!!  It's always hard to be decisive about the fact that this is cancer that we are talking about and there is a chance that it could show up at any moment...but...I just have this amazing feeling that it's not going to and that our little G is going to be just fine!  Her little body has spent the last year doing everything in it's power to heal and get rid of this ugly beast...and it has!!!  The last few days anticipating our scans have been filled with hesitancy, waiting, hoping, anxiety and tears just thinking "what if" but knowing "she's going to be ok".  We've done our best to stay busy but there were times we just felt frozen in our tracks.

G was amazing during her CT scan, which is the shortest of the three scans and done without anesthesia.  After the MRI and as she was having her PET scan done, we got to meet with Dr. Marina for preliminary results.  I know she was somewhat reluctant about giving us any final word because the final readings hadn't been done yet but we were very grateful to have heard the great results...the results we just felt in our gut were there.  They just needed to be confirmed.  As we knew and had discussed in previous conversations, the right lymph was still visible on MRI.  Most likely this is scar tissue or dead tissue that will probably show up on subsequent scans but the PET would confirm this.

We walked with the procedure nurse, anesthesiologist, and our G girl under sedation as they transferred her from MRI at Packard to PET at Stanford (down a long hallway).  I thought I had gotten used to all the tubes, probes, pumps, etc. (I mean really... I've worked with them for the past 11 years) but seeing G with tape over her eyes and an LMA protecting her airway was more difficult than I could have imagined it would be.  I had to walk into the waiting room and catch my breath.  I was debating whether or not to share it but you all have traveled down this road with us and have been incredibly supportive.  I wanted people to know what our reality looked like...the reality of childhood cancer, with the hopes that so much more can be done for our children.  I can't imagine the parents that have to see their child take their last breath.  Hopefully in our lifetime, we will see this change so no parent has to see their child suffer like this.

Adam and I stopped holding our breath after meeting with Dr. Marina and enjoyed the little jazz concert at Stanford while we waited for G to be done with the PET.  At that point, Adam pulled off all of the bracelets on his arm.  I quickly followed suit.  We talked about taking these bracelets off after her scans...when we knew she was going to be ok.  I think we both new at that moment.  It was freeing.  

We new Dr. Marina was going to call us later on in the day to give us preliminary readings for the PET.  Uncle Ronnie stopped by and we were all resting on the couch watching Alice in Wonderland.  Then we got the call...the PET confirmed that there was no active cancer.  WOW.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the room (except for the girls who were intensely watching the movie).  It took a while to soak in...and we are still absorbing the news.  Adam grabbed the champagne and we all toasted.  Our "official meeting" for results is on Tuesday but I have a strong feeling we will be hearing the same GOOD results.

We will continue to have scans every 3 months for the next year, then every 4 months for the following two years, then every 6 months for the last year.  We will still hold our breath every time scans come around because the highest chance of relapse is within the first two years.  But with every clear scan comes more healing and more distance from this vicious disease.  For now, we'll be celebrating every moment with our girls and living life without taking anything for granted!

BOARDWALK CELEBRATION!

Admiring her face painting.
Look at that gorgeous hair coming in!

Bridget showing of her butterfly face painting.

G, Addison and Bridget enjoying some beautiful weather.