On Monday the 21st Amy went in and had a PET Scan. A Pet Scan is most often used to detect for the presence of cancer and to see if and where it has spread throughout the body. It will help your doctor determine the best course of treatment for your condition especially when used in conjunction with Ultrasound, CT Scans and/or MRI it is very effective in the detection of evidence of cancer spread.
A brief description of the procedure to my understanding
- They checked Amy's blood sugar with a finger stick.
- If blood sugar is less than 200, which apparently it was so they proceeded.
- They administered an IV injection of sugar, labeled with a radioactive isotope, known as FDG.
- Amy had to relax for an hour, while the sugar tagged with the isotope circulated in her body.
- Then she laid on the scanner bed while the PET scanner did its thing (for about 35 minutes). Scanned her torso.
Today she is at MD Anderson speaking with the doctors about the PET Scan results. Today she'll learn if she is going to take her 3rd round of Chemo on Saturday the 26th or what path the doctors want to take instead. As soon as I get an update I'll post new info.
Also wanted to provide some other information for some who were concerned since I posted the picture. Yep she's lost weight but not entirely because of the pneumonia or cancer. As many of you know Amy did smoke but she had quit about 3 weeks on her own prior to getting sick. She also had gone on a diet prior to getting sick and had lost weight. Amy is very conscious of the fact that she needs to eat and eat right. And trust me she does. If she gets out of line Momma Finley whips her butt and so does a few of her friends. She has probably lost 15 pounds since this whole pneumonia/cancer journey began, the rest of the weight had come off prior. She has been feeling pretty good all things considered but her energy level does run down by the end of a work day. So yes Amy has been at work. Once she was released from the hospital back in December she was ready to get back into a routine and not let the cancer journey rule her life. She of course has to miss for doctor appointments and test and so far she's been able to take her first 2 chemo treatments on a Saturday. Had she not gotten sick with pneumonia she may have not found out about the cancer. The doctors did determine she has broncho alveolar lung cancer. There are no tumors that can be removed because the cancer is in the cells.
Thru Amy's use of humor, faith, prayers, and the support of friends, family and co-workers she is determined to not let this dip in the road of life get her down.
She will move forward on this journey and is grateful for the prayers and support.
On a personal note Amy has been my friend for nearly 12 years. She's been one those friends who has made me laugh when I cried, never judged me, she just listened and comforted. She would show up in the assistant principals office when we worked at Watkins just in time to keep me from going totally bezerk. Well almost in time. She's is the friend you want in your corner in good and in bad times. She's the friend who would follow you to the end of the road and kick your butt all the way back home. She's a truly special person with a big heart.
Love ya Amy! I'm ready for Choir practice when you're up to it. ;o)
Amy's friend
Carla
