Tumor Lottery

Alright, I admit it.  I've been a horrible blogger lately.  How long has it been since my last update?  I can't even remember!  To be fair, there hasn't been a great deal of excitement around here.  Pete and I began our college courses this week, so we've stayed busy with classes and homework.  For the younger crowd who is reading this blog, I'd just like to say -- Stay in school, kids.  It's hard trying to study when you have kids and a dog all competing for your attention.  And it's embarrassing to be the only student in class who remembers the Reagan administration. 

In other news, it seems that Pete has won the tumor lottery!  Blood tests confirmed that he does have the 1p/19q co-deletion, so he should respond quite well to chemotherapy.  I've tried my best to do research in hopes of understanding what all this means, but it seems that genetic typing in tumors is still somewhat new and there isn't any information on mean survival rates.  It's good news though, so we'll take it!  The doctors did inform us of a new concern at the last appointment.  Pathology showed that there are "pockets of anaplasia" within the tumor, which basically means that there are areas where the cells are dividing at a faster rate.  These pockets are still classified as grade II (low-grade), but doctors feel that this is an indication that Pete should begin chemo treatments now rather than later.

Pete continues to make a fantastic recovery!  He begins chemo tonight (1 pill before bedtime. Nice, eh?)  and returns for his 3 month post-op MRI in October.  We're keeping our fingers crossed for good results.  As always, thank you to everyone who has continued to support us with prayer and encouragement.  These last few months have made us realize just how lucky we really are to have all of you!