The posts on Evan have become sporadic as there is nothing to report, a blessing for him and our family. He continues to grow and remain healthy and happy.
Last year we were unable to take a vacation (Sherie and I) as even though the Chemo treatments were winding down the thought of being somewhere other than within 25 minutes of him prevented us from taking a trip. This year we took all 4 grandchildren on a car trip to visit the great grandparents in Boyertown Pennsylvania and I can tell you the kids had a blast (That is 1200 miles one way). It was heart warming to see Ethan, Eli, Evan and Elaina having fun together and being able to spend time with their Ggrand parents!
Two weeks ago Evan had his 90 day appointment with his Chemo Oncologist and had X-rays and port flush. His report card from the Oncologist was A+ and on September 17th he will have a sedated CT scan with contrast for his 1 year check up. At that time a decision will be made to leave his port in place or remove it. Hopefully his scans will be clean and we can get rid of 1 more symbol of this evil disease.
Today we had an appointment with the Orthopedic Oncologist in Tampa FL and the visit also went well. The X-rays revealed that as expected the allograft is deteriorating at the upper end of the graft. This is a normal happening with the graft as there isn't an area of bone growth medium If you remember, the head of the humerus had to be almost entirely removed in order to obtain good margins and that wiped out the growth plate. The screws are beginning to loosen and a phenomenon known as re-absorption is occurring. When re-absorption occurs, the body absorbs/dissolves the allograft. This would be worrisome because of the length of the natural bone attached to the elbow may not be long enough, but the Doctor was able to show us that this area of bone had grown at least 1CM since the surgery (that means that in about 1.5 years and through chemo his bone grew). The Doctor is going to send the new X-rays to the engineers in the UK that custom make the expandable titanium rod to see if they can design one that will sufficiently fit in the lower portion of the natural humerus. If they can arrive at a satisfactory model we will proceed with the procedure. The Doctor feels confident they will be able to do so. Once this procedure is done, it will be the last barring any accidents. The titanium rod will be sufficient in length to carry him through adulthood. The engineering, design and production will take months so we are being proactive and have a tentative ETA for surgery in early to mid 2016.
We think that overall things are progressing very well and that hopefully the outcome will be a lasting one. Our family wishes to thank everyone who has been following this amazing story of such a brave young man. Your wishes, comments and prayers are read and heard.
3 comments:
That sounds very positive and encouraging. Thanks for allowing us to follow Evan's Journey through your posts. Your family is a great model for dealing with the challenges of life with grace and love. Amy and I wish all the best for your entire family. Brad
Keep us posted. So happy that all is going well. Hope they design the perfect fit and that the titanium rod implanted works well and lasts a lifetime. It's great to see such a positive report!
Hi Robert and Evan's Family! My name is Jessica and I am attending James Madison University in Virginia. I am a prospective nursing student and hope to obtain a Bachelor's degree in the nursing practice. As part of the curriculum for my nursing narrative course my group and I decided to do a presentation on Osteosarcoma, as it is a significant and prevalent disease but there is a lack of common knowledge in regards to the illness. We were supposed to find blogs and gather information about how narratives can tell a different story compared to lab reports and what we would call the "science" of health care. Your story about Evan really helped me understand the supporting role that you playing in Evan's diagnosis and how your family helped Evan and are still helping Evan fight his cancer in unity. I would like to take a moment and THANK YOU for your amazing story about your grandson and his journey. God bless you and your family.
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