“A New Baseline”

Last weekend, we went into New York City to have Isabella’s follow-up MRI.  This MRI was scheduled to be six weeks after her radiation ended back in early September.  The reason we had to wait six weeks after radiation is that there is a lot of swelling caused by the radiation that would make the MRI look like a mess. 

It took a few days to get the results, but we are ecstatic to report that the scans are clean and show no new swelling, no new enhancements, and no new mass!  This will be the new baseline that future MRI’s will be compared to check for any new growth.

For the first time in a long time, we’ve been able to let out a sigh of relief.  I’ve used the marathon metaphor a few times, and even though we’ve crossed the finish line in terms of treatments, we will need to keep running.  Isabella will have an MRI scheduled for every 3 months for the next couple of years.  Gradually, if everything remains stable, the MRI’s will move to every 6 months, then to once a year.

It’s really difficult for me to find the words to describe how I feel at this point.  It’s just like a giant jumble of elation, relief, and gratitude.  To think that Isabella was hours from dying – one of the doctors that we spoke with used the very sobering term that Isabella was “checking out” when she had arrived at NYU on that fateful night – and to watch her attending school and running around like a normal kid, all less than a year later – it’s really nothing short of miraculous.

At some point, I may be able to put into words how I feel as I reflect on everything that has happened.  I don’t think that time is now though.  In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures from our trip to New York City.  And again, thank you all for keeping up with us and your support.

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