Calling Out the Big Guns

Brain cancer is...

...getting a second opinion.

On our walk tonight, Dr. Park called Darrell.  He told Darrell to double the steroid dose (which was very low--only 2 mg per day), and he told Darrell that Dr. Cloughesy will be expecting our call to schedule an appointment for Monday (6/13).  

Dr. Park's rationale is that he's being very cautious and wants Dr. Cloughesy's opinion on the most recent scans, given the speech difficulties we described. 

By the way, Darrell feels like he's noticing some improvement with just two doses of the steroids.

Team D, this is one of those times when we are carefully selecting our response.  It would be easy to be frightened by this change in plan, but instead we're viewing these really positive things:

• We are glad we asked to look at the scans yesterday with Dr. Dolkar, or the marked increases in swelling may not have come into the doctors' conversation.
• We are glad that Darrell's Orange County team of physicians happened to be meeting on his case yesterday so that they could put the data bits together for a larger picture.
• We are glad that Dr. Park is cautious.
• We are glad that Dr. Cloughesy will be looking at the scans sooner rather than later.
• We are glad that the doctors are not territorial and are able to work so effectively together for Darrell's benefit, even across this geographic region.
• We are glad for another night in the Grand Suite.
• We are glad that you are at the other end of this post, sending your good wishes.

Here's the picture from the post we thought we'd be making tonight:

Today Darrell kept me company for the pleasure of getting my mammies grammed.  (Sorry...no pics of my scans.)  The pic above is the view from the waiting room.  Do you recognize the bridge?  It was a good reminder for us that all of us, from our varied vantage points, are looking at the same world while we work on preventing or detecting or treating our own cancers.

Thank you for your recent outpouring of support and love through texts, emails, and (hurrah!) more Guillaume meals to come.