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Good News!

Just finished my last scan. The bone scan, which was the most difficult test for me. The scans yesterday actually weren't too bad. I didn't feel claustrophobic during the MRI, and CAT scans. I think the ativan helped with that, and the tubes weren't as tight as the ones I have been in before. The CAT scan only lasted 5 minutes, but the MRI was a little over an hour. The bone scan was really bad for 5 minutes, but the remainder of the test was easy as 3.14. If you were wondering what the procedure is for a bone scan since you probably never had one/heard of one before. It works like this. They gave me a radioactive injection today at 11am, and told me to come back at 11 for the scans. I had to make sure to drink lots of fluids during this time to lesson the potency of the radioactive material in my body. When I got back, they ran the test. The machine they used looked like this.

My head was straight forward, facing the plate
during that portion

The test took around an hour, but the worst part was the first five minutes because it was the only time that your head was under the plate. After that, it was so easy. They just slide you out further and further until your whole body has been scanned.

But enough of my bickering, let's get onto some exciting stuff. Before I explain I need to say that the final measurements of the MRI, and the catscan results aren't in yet. So I don't know if the CAT scan was good, and of course the bone scan isn't known yet as well. 

So the plan for the surgery changed yesterday and for the better. I'm not going to be losing my whole humerus anymore! I will lose a chunk of my humerus, and some muscle and the bone will be replaced with some random dead guy's bone(cadaver). Thanks random dead guy! Then that will be coated with a titanium plating to fuse it to the ends of my humerus. I will have screws in my arm to help stabilize the bone, and I'll have a bone graft from my hip to help start the  dead guy's bone growth. If surgery goes well, there will be no loss of flexibility, and strength. Woohoo! Happy birthday, and Merry Christmas to me. The orthopedic surgeon who planned the surgery was very happy with how much the tumor shrunk. She could barely feel it there. The MRI showed that Jimmy was much skinnier, but still kind of long. She estimates it's about 5 cm in length down from 6.9. Yep, that's what happens when all you've been drinking the last three months is chemotherapy poison. She said the response I had with the chemo will make her job much easier when she performs the surgery. It was really awesome yesterday because I walked into the office with questions such as: How much flexibility will I lose?, will I be able to play sports?, and how long will the rod last in my arm? I walked out knowing that after this surgery I will be able to do everything that I used to do. Some more surgery stuff. The surgery will take roughly 5 hours, and I'll be in the hospital until Thursday. Another funny thing about this surgery is that it would have been on my birthday(the 3rd), but they couldn't fit me in. I'm very thankful for that. Lastly, this surgery wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for Jimmy being located in the middle of my humerus. Most of the time ewing's sarcoma will grow out of one of the ends of the bone making this incredible plan for surgery not possible.

I'll make a blog post when I get the results of the scans. Should be in the next couple days.



Comments

  1. DOLLYNovember 23, 2013 at 6:24 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. DOLLYNovember 23, 2013 at 6:28 AM

    HI MIKE..LUCAS, TOO, TAKES ATIVAN BEFORE THE MRI: 3.5 HOURS LONG! HERE IS HIS STORY: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/GARGOYLE. IT IS WITH HOPE, FAITH, BELIEF AND ENCOURAGEMENT AS WE ANTICIPATE GOOD SCAN NEWS. YOU DO LOOK STRONG ON THE TREADMILL. HERE IS LUCAS' FACEBOOK PAGe, TOO: Lucas Callender.

    LUCAS' 4-MONTH SCANS: THE BEST NEWS: CLEAN AND CLEAR!!!!

    LUCAS WAS DIAGNOSED 1.6.10, AND AGE 16 WITH METASTASIZED (COCONUT SIZE TUMOR IN RIGHT FEMUR, NODULES IN LUNGS, BONE MARROW AND SPOTS ON ALL HIS BONES: HEAD TO TOE) EWING'S SARCOMA. HE IS NOW 20 AND HIS SCANS HAVE BEEN CLEAN AND CLEAR SINCE TREATMENT ENDED IN NOV. 2010. HERE IS HIS STORY: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/GARGOYLE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike JudgeNovember 26, 2013 at 8:38 AM

      Wow, 3.5 hours. That's ridiculous! Yes, this is the strongest I have felt since starting treatment. Lucas' story is pretty inspirational. This disease is a beast, but it is definitely beatable.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousNovember 25, 2013 at 8:30 PM

    Hoping for the best with your scan results.
    My brother has his first scan to see how much his ewing sarcoma tumour has shrunk in about three weeks, when he gets his five day chemo. I understand how the wait for results can be! Hoping Jimmy is withering away already.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike JudgeNovember 26, 2013 at 8:34 AM

      thank you, I'll keep you're brother in my prayers. My surgeon said that Jimmy is likely completely dead, but it takes the body a while to clean up the dead cells

      Delete

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