This morning, after a sleepless night for Leslie, Mason had an ultrasound on his kidneys and liver. Mason came out with an all clear in this category. His organs are functioning at great levels and they should be able to handle the rigor of systemic chemotherapy. There were no visible tumors found during the ultrasound on the kidneys or liver.
Great way to start the day!
3:00 pm (Toronto Time)
Mason is in recovery and doing well. His 'PORT' (portacath) or central line surgery went well. This port is an intravenous line that goes into the chest to a major vessel near the heart. This is how they will administer the chemotherapy. It allows for medication to be administered efficiently and easily into the bloodstream.
Sweet baby. He is doing pretty well right now. No better combo than morphine, post anesthetic, and a full tummy. The port is under the white gauze area. The IV line is in, but won't be used until tomorrow as we need to keep the IV that is in his foot to insert dye for the kidney test.
Daddy has arrived!
7:00 pm (Toronto Time)
After the Dr.'s had a chance to consult with one another, it was decided it is best to remove the tumor that was found on Mason's conjunctiva tissue. This way they can send it to pathology, test the DNA, and check the margins (size) to be sure they have removed the entire tumor. The MRI he had yesterday suggests that it is a localized tumor, but they think it is deeper in the tissue than expected. To get a better look at the tumor, they will do an in depth CT scan of the eye tissue tomorrow morning. They will then know how much of the conjunctiva tissue needs to be removed.
The surgery to remove the tumor will take place on Monday. It is anticipated he will then begin chemotherapy a day or two later. He will receive a minimum of 4 rounds of chemotherapy.
The MRI that was done yesterday was of just his head, not the entire body. The Rb cells, if present in the body, would be so small, they would be difficult to detect with an MRI. The spinal fluid and bone marrow that was sampled yesterday will be the best indicator of whether Rb is present throughout the body. These results have not come back yet, possibly by Friday or Monday.
We're so sorry for the grief and anxiety you must be experiencing, and are so grateful for prayer and the power you've felt from the Holy Ghost up to this point. When I read about Mason, I thought instantly of this conference talk in which the experience of a 13 year old girl in the hospital is shared and how she describes angels surrounding and supporting each child there. I know that Mason will be supported by angels, especially your ancestors, and that you will be strengthened by them at this difficult time. We will continue to pray mightily for Mason, and all of your boys, and you! "The Atonement Covers All Pain" http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/the-atonement-covers-all-pain?lang=eng
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