It took a little bit longer than the previous cycles, but Persy has bounced back from cycle four. The oncologists have talked a few times about what they call the cumulative effect of chemotherapy. Each successive round becomes a little bit harder to recover from. Combine that with the prolonged impact of MIBG on Persy’s bone marrow, and it made for a rough time for our little fighter.
We want to thank everyone who had Persy in their thoughts and prayers over this last cycle. Truly, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Persy was scheduled to have a CT scan on Monday, March 28, 2022. Originally we would have gone to the hospital that morning, but since we were already there, he was able to have the procedure inpatient. The CT scan required general anesthesia, but Persy was already gaining strength by that point. The following day we got a pleasant surprise. Persy’s labs came in better than expected and we were able to go home.
Later that week we got the results of the CT scan. The scan was focused mainly on the primary tumor. Back in late November of 2021, shortly after the diagnosis, the primary tumor in Persy’s abdomen was over 13 centimeters wide. His abdomen was rigid and he was in a lot of pain. As of the most recent scan, the tumor is down to under 3 centimeters wide. The improvement is truly amazing.
On April 14, 2022, Persy will undergo surgery to remove what is left of the primary tumor. His surgeon is confident that the majority or even the entire tumor can be removed. The site where the tumor was will also be radiated at some point in the future. Getting rid of the primary tumor isn’t the end of the fight, but it’s a huge step towards Persy beating Neuroblastoma. We’re praying for the best possible outcome with this stage of treatment.
The CT scan alone can’t tell us much about the metastatic sites where cancer spread. At the time of diagnosis, there were two bone tumors in Persy’s left eye. One inside the skull, one in the eye socket. The one inside the skull is gone. The one in his eye socket has reduced in size. We know visually that the large tumor on Persy’s right clavicle is gone, but the CT scan still shows some cancer in that bone. The CT scan alone can’t tell the oncologists much about those sites. We’ll have to wait for the next MIBG scan to get a full report on how things are going with the metastatic sites.
We are so grateful to have some downtime at home leading up to surgery, especially after our last unexpected hospital stay. Persy has been enjoying some much needed fun with his brother, cousins, and best bud Myles. He has been feeling great since getting home and even got to enjoy a beach day and a neighborhood Easter egg hunt this week. Seeing our boy running, laughing, playing, and just being a normal kid brings us all so much joy!
