Thursday, January 21, 2010

8th Chemo Treatment

Ben is coming home today after having his 8th chemo treatment, which means we only have one left!!! He gets six weeks to recover from this treatment, and then he'll get his last treatment in early March. A year ago we never thought we'd be this close to finishing he treatments, but here we are. And it is a very happy day!

Ben also had an MRI on Monday to make sure the tumor isn't starting to come back. Gratefully, he had a clean scan, which means there was no visible sign of tumor regrowth. We are always on pins and needles waiting to find out what the MRI says, so this was very good news. He will continue to get MRIs every three months or so for quite a while after he stops his chemo treatments, then every six months, then every year, etc. If he goes five years after treatment with no relapse, then he is considered "cured."

We are starting a new therapy for Ben this Saturday. It is horse riding therapy, and it is supposed to be very effective in helping to rewire the brain. We found a lady in Spanish Fork who has been doing this for 15 years, and after talking with her, we feel really good about her. We just hope, and especially pray, that reality lives up to all of the hype!

3 comments:

  1. That is good news. Hopefully he will now be able to settle into a normal routine and continue to progress. The horse riding therapy should be fun for him. I have a great grandson in Texas who was born with physical and mental handicaps. This is one of therapies that he enjoys. He is now five years old and can only walk briefly with the aid of a walker, but still does not speak and only eats baby food. Never the less, he is a happy little boy and is loved dearly.
    I'm sure that Ben will continue on his road to recovery.
    Love, Aunt Diane

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  2. Congratulations on reaching this bench mark! I hope thinks continue to look up and up and up! love, Laura Rupper

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  3. I am thrilled to k now you have made it this far. I hope this time won't be as bad as it has in the past. The horse therapy sounds great. You will have to bring Ben out to our new place to ride horses sometime. We sure love you guys.

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