Serry Lee

...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Serry has what is called Medulloblastoma. Basically, here's what's happening... The main tumor is in her brain stem. The doctors say that it looks like a bunch of spaghetti all in one tight little area. That tumor is then creating little seeds that it is dropping into her spinal fluid. The seeds then migrate through the spinal fluid until they find somewhere they like and stick there. We're not sure how long she's had this tumor/abnormality, but there are hundreds of little (and not so little) "seeds" along her spinal column.

Medulloblastoma is a childhood cancer. A rare childhood cancer. Serry's neuro oncologist made calls to her collegues across the nation to determine the best treatment for this condition. Fortunately, we have an expert in our own back yard! A doctor from the University of Washington (UW) is a specialist in this cancer--meaning that he's treated about 30 individuals with it. (Get the picture on the rarity of it?) Very, very few adults get this, and there isn't much research to go off of on how to treat it. As a result, some of the top minds in neuro oncology are focusing on Serry--wanting to learn from her, and, in my opinion, thinking about ways to kill this stuff. (I like LOTS of people wanting to find a cure!)

So, you ask... How do we treat this? Well, Round 1 just started today. Serry just took a dose of chemotherapy this morning... it was a "generic" chemo, designed to help prepare her body for the fight that it's about to undergo. This afternoon, we (yes, I got to visit today!) wheeled her down to radiology to start her radiation. Today and this weekend, they are targeting two problem areas--in her brain and her lower spine. There are some key tumors in those areas that have caused her some specific problems. Their goal this weekend is to start to alleviate the difficulties she's had so that she's stronger to fight the rest of the cancer when they start the major, full spine radiation next week. When they do radiation, they'll pretty much be hitting everything from her brain stem to her lower spine.

Radiation is going to be Monday through Friday for approximately six weeks. Pretty intense. She'll fortunately have weekends off (except this weekend), but will be in radiation the rest of the week. We're still figuring out how this all is going to work, when she'll have to stay in the hospital, when she'll be staying somewhere around the hospital, when she'll be coming home, etc. I saw tonight how exhausting radiation can be for her... we (her family, friends, loved ones) are going to have to be cautious that we don't over exert her through this. She needs her strength to push through this.

So... six weeks out (remember, that this is barring any changes of action, and that everything goes exactly according to plan--and things ARE changing hourly up there!), she will come HOME for six weeks of recuperation. I'm praying that the time frame stays the same, because it means that she'll be RESTING for Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Year's.

Once her rest/recovery time is up, chemotherapy will begin. I think that we figured that that would last (again, barring any changes, etc.) through March. Serry turns 30 in March and I think the bestest birthday present for the Big 3-0 (and for little sister Kaiti's Sweet 16!) would be a clean bill of health.

At that point, some post chemo/cancer/etc. procedures will need to happen, but we'll take them as they come. It's also possible that the chemo could cause some hearing loss; it's possible that she'll lose her hair; etc.

As I've mentioned before (and will again!), she LOVES the messages you all are sending her and the love that she's feeling. Thank you (from Serry!) for all of that love. Please keep posting on here--I'm not sure if you realize that you're not just lifting HER up, you're lifting us all up. Gentry (younger sister) and I have commented how we feel better coming here every day and reading and re-reading your comments... I'm beyond touched at how many people love her and our family.

I know there's more to add here... but again, it's nearing midnight. I'm not going to visit her tomorrow, but the other sisters are and I'm excited that they get to love on her a little.

Thanks all ~ I'm out.