Yay for 80%!

Emery's tumor is now 80% smaller than it was when she was diagnosed! We are so thrilled to know that the chemotherapy is working and were absolutely blown away when we heard how much the tumor had shrunk. I honestly didn't have any expectations going into the scans this week because I didn't want to be disappointed like I was after the first round. We weren't the only ones pleasantly surprised by the scan results - our doctors were quite pleased as well! Our team of doctors had a meeting yesterday to discuss her treatment plan. There were three possiblilities:
1. Stop treatment and observe since this type of cancer should go away on its own
2. Continue with another round of chemo to shrink it some more
3. Remove what's left surgically

After much debate, they decided that it would be best to do another round of chemo since she is handling it well and the tumor is extremely responsive. There is still a small portion of the tumor going into her spinal column but the pressure on the spinal cord has reduced drastically. The surgeons decided that it still would not be an easy surgery to remove the tumor. They also decided that since it is still in her spinal column it would not be wise to stop treatment and observe. If the tumor were located somewhere else in her body, they probably wouldn't treat her anymore. We were prepared to hear that she would need another round since we really didn't know before this week that there were going to be other options. So, tomorrow we will go in to the clinic to see our doctor and will be admitted into the hospital for her third round of chemo. She will receive three days of chemo and then we will probably stay in the hospital for observation for a couple more days. After that, we will go into the clinic a couple times a week to check on her blood levels and get transfusions if necessary. Last time it took a couple of weeks for her platelets to recover so we will be prepared for that. After this round, they will do scans and re-evaluate her situation again. More than likely they will have to surgically remove what is left of the tumor if it is considered safe for Emery.

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts, prayers, and support! Emery is one lucky little girl to have so many people pulling for her. We are so happy we were able to give you all some good news!