EUA Updates Today

All 3 boys had EUA (exam under anesthesia) today.  It didn't all go as smoothly as hoped, so I will try to update what I know.

LUKE
Luke was first.  Unexpectedly, they discovered that his larger tumor has begun to 'seed.'  Two weeks ago, his tumor was a dome shape, which is normal.  Today, the tumor was more triangularly shaped, and had started to rupture and seed.  This basically means the cancer cells (seeds) can begin to float around to other areas.  It is in the very beginning stages of seeding, so although this can be a scary situation, the seeds at present are still 'contained'.

Due to the seeding, the Dr.'s decided it was best to treat Luke with some chemo.  There were some complications during the procedure.  Some of the topotecan entered into the eye instead of remaining in one of the outer layers of the eye. It was a very small amount.  Luke has been admitted to the hospital and will stay there for a few days while they watch for possible complications. Things should be OK, they just feel it is best to keep a close eye on him for a few days.

MASON
Two weeks ago Mason's large tumor was treated with topotecan and melphalan. The good news for Mason is that his tumor has shrunk a little bit.  From 5.9 to 5.6.  The tumor has shrunk away from the optic nerve so this buys us a little extra time to continue treating with localized chemo. This is slow progress, but good progress none the less.  The Dr.'s want to wait and see how this tumor reacts in the next 2 weeks before making more decisions.

THOMAS
Thomas ended up having 3 small tumors in his remaining eye today.  All were zapped with a laser.  He did very well during his EUA.  And, what a sweet boy.  Those who have been able to spend time with these special boys know that Thomas is very patient.  He can usually be soothed and eat last.  Well today, the exams were all pushed back much longer than they had originally planned due to Luke's unexpected problems.  Therefore, patient Thomas had to wait most the day to eat (besides one bittle of sugar water and an IV to keep his fluid levels ok).


OVERALL
Luke is in the hospital overnight.  The other babies are at the condo.  Uncle Scott is sleeping at the hospital with Luke to try and let Leslie get some rest after a stressful day at the hospital.  Luke will be at the hospital through the weekend.  The group had originally anticipated returning to Edmonton tomorrow, but plans have changed.  Cancer is terrible.  It's unpredictable, things don't always go as planned, surprises happen.  We understand this is part of cancer treatment.

It's just multiplying cancer x 3 makes things...extremely difficult.

Leslie and Luke before the EUA this morning.