Snoopy Dance

5cm x 4cm!!!
Sylvie's tumor on her right liver lobe is half the size as it was when discovered February 11th.
And receded from the portal vein.
All good.
Communal sigh of relief.

Michael took Sylvie for her 3 CT scans yesterday morning. It goes like this: Transport comes with stretcher. Michael lays on stretcher and Sylvie lays down on top of him. Sylvie flails like lunatic as stretcher passes through the yellow wing, into the elevator, down to the orange wing (PICU), into another elevator, down to first floor, through the doors to the main hospital, cruising past the ER, parking in between the other folks waiting to have CT scans. Usually they stare at Sylvie and look away. This time someone tried to make conversation with Michael and he looked the other way. The technician came out of the CT-scan room and asked Michael why Sylvie was there. Cancer. She cried. Other patients waiting in the stretcher queue stared at Michael and Sylvie. This happens about once or twice a week. It's actually a little humanizing seeing the hospital staff cry so I personally don't mind it. I snuck out for my first pedicure of the year across the street! Just think of all the money I've saved in 12 weeks!

Post scan, Sylvie was discharged and we went home.

We waited and waited and waited to hear from either Dr. Valda or Dr. Steele and finally after being treated like orderlies by Sylvie for an hour or so, Sibel took over while we went for a run. In case the doctors called, Michael had his iPhone and my Blackberry in his pocket. Nope. When we got back, Michael called them both; each were taking care of emergencies. Michael said that our decision to have Sylvie's surgery at HUMC is dependent on the scan results. Each called back to apologize. Dr. Steele said no curveballs, regular old resection but that Dr. Valda would call us because she hadn't even seen the report. Dr. Valda's office said he'd call us in the morning.

Michael and I went to the city to see Into the Presence play at Highline Ballroom with Vast (us plus a room full of goths and death metal fans!) but hit a wall of traffic that derailed both our attempt at having a date-night dinner before hand and seeing ITP play. That being said, we made a great recovery and ate at Blossom which is a phenomenal new vegan restaurant (http://www.blossomrestaurant.com/) in Chelsea. Then I ran over to Highline Ballroom before coming home. En route I talked to our friends Michelle and Scott ("Doctor Scott" as he is known to many of our friends and his being a ped ENT surgeon has come in very handy when Sylvie has stuck objects up her nose, among other medical emergencies over the past few years). Anyway they offered some new insight that we had not considered before. I continue to be amazed when Michael and I think we've considered every possible angle and then we hear something new!

This morning Dr. Valda called Michael, once again apologized for not being available the day before. He had GREAT news. There is only one tumor on her right lobe and it's reduced to 5cm x 4cm. It's no longer precariously close to the portal vein, perfectly resectable and most likely only the right lobe. Maybe a little of one of those middle sections. Sorry for my not speaking in medical terms today.

This makes the decision for MIchael and me very simple. Hackensack University Medical Center. Sylvie has to go to HUMC for labs at 10:15 Monday morning. She will be admitted early on Wednesday around lunchtime with surgery scheduled for Thursday May 14th. Sylvie will be in Pediatric Intensive Car Unit (PICU) for 4 days minimum hooked up to all kinds of gadgets and gizmos; she might go up to PICU for another day or two.

The Ridgewood News has a great article on Strides For Sylvie, Tomorrows Children's Fund and Sylvie!