Test Results

We went to the high risk OB's today - another good ultrasound. The baby's growth remains right on track. We even got to find out how much he weighs right now - 1.6 pounds.

At the oncologist's office, we got the results to four tests - gene testing, echo cardiogram, CT scan, and routine blood tests.

gene testing - No gene mutations. This means my sister and daughters can breath a limited sigh of relief. Limited because, evidently, no one is immune to cancer. But at least they don't seem to be predisposed to it. It also means I don't have to have a hysterectomy to prevent other common cancers.

echo cardiogram - 55% ejection fraction. That means that with each beat, my heart is ejecting 55% of the blood it takes in. That's not a great number. The oncologist said that after this next round of chemo (which is now officially scheduled) I probably will not have any more before Baby comes or that fraction could drop lower. Normal/healthy is considered to be between 55% and 75%.

CT scan - No tumors or obvious developing cancers. There were some unclassified spots on my liver and in my bones, but those could have any of several causes, only one of which is more cancer. The overall report was positive. The radiologist did not think the areas in question had a high likelihood of being cancer, but metastasis couldn't be completely ruled out. The oncologist said the CT report will not change anything in my treatment plan. She assured me that everyone who has a CT scan has small abnormalities show up since the scan is so sensitive.

It was interesting to hear about other "small abnormalities". My upper lungs have scar tissue - I wonder where that came from? If I grew up in the Midwest, it would be considered normal since most people from there breath in some kind of soil spore that causes scar tissue. But I grew up in South Carolina. My lower lungs are flat-ish from not breathing deeply enough. (Jog harder, yell louder.)

blood tests - Still anemic, but not as badly as expected after the last tests. I have felt much better since chemo #4 than after chemo #3, so the oncologist decided not to do a blood transfusion at this point.

The approximate date for our little boy's birth seems to be settling around 34 weeks - around Mother's Day. This is two weeks later than we thought it would be last month. The results of the tests were good enough to allow his lungs to develop on their own without rushing things any more than that. My parents bought tickets last month to come out here based on the information we had then. Now it looks like they will miss the little guy's birth by a few days. They are going to check on what their airline will do for them.

Many people have asked about names for the baby. We haven't picked one out. We read Bruce Lansky's Mother of All Baby Name Books; Over 94,000 Baby Names Complete with Meanings, and the only six names we agreed on were the ones we've already used. I guess we'll just have to duke this one out. Stay tuned to see who wins.