4 New Words You Never Want to Hear: The Cancer Came Back!

by Alex Ota of Breezy Mama...
 
Last September, my daughter Emily was diagnosed with Cancer. Her tumor was taken out and we left the hospital without needing chemotherapy. She was having regular check-ups and scans, but there was a 15% chance the cancer would come back. I tried not to obsess over the 15%, but I did. Every time Emily was having fun at something, I would think such thoughts as, “What if she can’t enjoy this next year?” I kept telling myself to live in the moment–she was having monthly check-ups and bi-monthly CT scans–if it came back, it would be found and treated right away. And then, just as I was getting better about not thinking about it, that’s when it happened. Guess who fell into that 15% range?

We got the news . . .

December 3 and 4th, 2009, Emily had two follow-up scans: a CT scan which shows masses in the body, and a MIBG scan which is specific to Neuroblastoma, the name of Emily’s cancer. For the latter, she is injected with a radioactive dye that adheres to Neuroblastoma cells. We had the scans done and on December 5, I flew up to Canada with the kids for a family trip with my parents. We had been there for four days when we got the news–there was a mass, about 11 millimeters in size, showing up on the CT scan, and the MIBG scan was lighting up in the same place. I was incredulous–this little girl, who was laughing and crawling up and down the halls of our hotel had cancer in her?? I just couldn’t believe this was happening . . . again.
 
To read more about their heartbreaking news, click HERE!