Post-Chemo Check-up Today!

We stopped by to visit Dr. G today. The visit was VERY good, but not as definitively positive as we would have liked. Here's what we found out:

- Since Matt started chemo he's gained nearly 20 pounds! That is actually really, really good news...though after the New Year we're watching his diet again :)
- His AFP count is COMPLETELY normal - yeah!! It's a GOOD sign that it went from 1300 to 4 :)
- His lymph node shrank considerably. It is NOT back to a normal size, but it IS smaller.

So, does he need surgery? We don't know yet. Dr. G is consulting with the surgery specialist at Indiana University. However, here's what we've heard:

- In most cases the lymph node won't return to normal. It often retains scar tissue which will keep it slightly enlarged.
- The only way to know if the lymph node is regular or cancerous is to wait and observe (since they can't biopsy it).

So here's the new plan:
- Six weeks: Blood test to check AFP
- Eleven weeks: Chest/Abdominal/Pelvic CT scan
- Twelve weeks: Visit with Dr. G again

As long as the AFP count stays normal and the lymph node doesn't grow, we're good. However, we won't know for absolutely sure until then. In the meantime, though, he's good! He has an all clear to go on with his life :)

His fuzz is growing in VERY nicely :) It's turning from a nice white blonde to a darker shade, like he used to have. It's VERY exciting to see his transformation :)

So that's it...I'll tell you more later, though please don't expect much before his six week blood work. If there's anything exciting I'll let you know!