So, we went to SF to have an angiogram done on Mom. The purpose of the angiogram is to check and make sure that this new radiation they are doing on her (called Y90) will go directly to the tumor, and not to the lungs or elsewhere. Apparently the liver can handle this strong radiation, but the lungs and other organs cannot. So the angiogram is done to make sure that it will go directly to the tumor in the liver and not elsewhere, as well as to map out the "plan of attack", and also to determine how much radiation is needed. The good part about this is that the radiation is so centralized and specific, that it won't make her sick at all.
However, it turns out that Dr. Wack, who is on the liver transplant team as well as the doctor doing the radiation, was doing the angiogram, and said that they might have made a mistake in reading the last MRI. That although everyone was sure that the cancer had grown and was spreading into the major vein going to the liver, that it could have been actually dead cells from lack of blood flow that just presented as part of the cancer. So long story short, they are going to be doing the radiation treatment in the next 10 days or so. Then 4 weeks after that, they will do a follow up MRI. When they have that MRI as well as the films from the radiation, and can confirm that the cancer hasn't gone past a 5 or spread outside the liver, then Dr. Wack and Dr. Frederick will both present to the Liver Transplant Team to see if they will put Mom back on the transplant list. There are other things that will come into play as well, such as Mom's current health and nutrition. Her last blood tests showed malnutrition - and that worries Dr. Frederick that the team won't put her back on the list. So there are a lot of "ifs" at play here - but there is still a glimmer of hope! We are trying not to get too excited, and are currently living in limbo and won't have any news for another 2 months. But during this time, Mom will work on exercise, sleeping routines and nutrition to do her part, and we will all be praying and helping her the best we can. :-) It is all in God's hands, as we have always known. :-)
