Scanxiety!

This post is #78 in a year-long series ... Through this series of posts I plan to share our family's experiences during our 17-year-old daughter's year-long battle with brain cancer, which began in February of 2008. My desire is to process through the events of that year from the perspective that a decade of time has brought ... for myself, really. But if you'd like to follow along, you're welcome to join me.

May 18, 2008

Hannah's blood transfusion rejuvenated her to such a degree that it was almost possible to forget she was sick ... almost.  There was a big reminder hanging over us, and that was her upcoming MRI.  Every cancer patient and his or her family understands the term "scanxiety", and there was definitely some of that going on!  This would be her first MRI since the day after her surgery, and the results would tell us a lot about how successful the surgery had actually been and whether or not her treatments so far had been effective.  In spite of the inevitable scanxiety, I remember feeling fairly confident that everything was going to look good on these scans.  I also realize, looking back, that the true gravity of what we were facing had not yet set in.

My email from ten years ago today:

Just a quick update and prayer request tonight…

Hannah has felt good this week, ever since her transfusion on Tuesday. Her energy level has been much better and her appetite has really improved. She has obviously been feeling much more like herself than she has since all of this began back in February. Tomorrow morning she is scheduled for an MRI, which will be the first she’s had since the day after surgery. Please join us in praying that results will confirm that the tumor is completely gone and that the radiation and chemotherapy has done its job in keeping it from coming back. After the MRI, we will be meeting with the oncologist to hear more about her future course of treatment.

Thank you so much for your prayers…we are still so humbled and overwhelmed by the emails, cards, phone calls, and gifts our family has received during this season of our lives. God has truly been faithful through the storm, and He is good, all the time!