Just a quick update, because it’s late, but I know many of you are out there praying and wondering how today’s appointment went. We did get good news. Bridget’s scans from Wednesday did show continued improvement. While there is still a tiny spot lighting up where her mass was, it is “less hot” than it was six weeks ago. Per the doctor’s it is almost back to normal metabolic activity. This is what they were hoping to see.   To give you an idea, the doctor’s measure the activity/uptake of the radioactive tracer on a scan using SUVs. Bridget’s normal (which is determined by uptake in the liver) is an SUV of 1.4. Her scan’s this week showed an uptake of 2.5 SUVs. This is improved from 3.3 SUVs six weeks ago. As a comparison, her SUV at diagnosis was 18.8 SUVs. So we are almost there. The doctors are also reassured because the thickening of her bowel wall has also improved to almost normal size.

Having been off chemo for almost three months now, the doctors noted it is unlikely there is any active disease because the scan would have WORSENED without treatment over the past six weeks, not improved. However, for peace of mind, they are going to order one more PET scan in three months.

So, while the PET scan can’t specifically prove that there is no cancer left, these are all good signs. The doctors are convinced that the activity that is still present is just residual inflammation from the chemotherapy, not active disease. They say this is common with lymphoma after treatment. Therefore, we can breathe a little easier and just will continue to hope and pray that the next scans can confirm the absence of any disease.