Hi all,
I know it’s been a very long time since I have updated you about Shannon’s progress. He is doing fantastic! So far everything is still clear. He had his one year check ups with both oncologists and there is still no sign of the cancer. They were both very pleased with his progress and recovery from the treatments too. He will be scheduled for a PET scan in June 2008 and then yearly after that. If it is clear the doctor’s visits will be set farther apart as well.
I can’t tell you all just how grateful we are for all your good wishes and prayers throughout this entire ordeal. That is what carried us through. We would still appreciate a prayer on our behalf now and then that this cancer stays gone. As for now though, he is doing great.
If anyone has searched the web because you or someone you love is having a similar experience with cancer, I hope that reading here has helped you and will give you hope. The treatments are very hard and it’s not easy to get your mind around how big something like this is in your life but you can get through it. We wish you the strength and courage to do that.
I hope you all have a very happy new year full of hope, health and happiness.
Shannon had a follow-up appointment and exam with his surgeon yesterday. He used a scope to examine Shannon’s throat as well as did a manual exam of the lymph nodes in Shannon’s neck. I’m very happy to say it was all clear again. No sign of anything in the throat or in the lymph nodes. The surgeon was very pleased with the results of the last PET scan and with that and the exam says that Shannon is still all clear. He also said that if this continues like this for 5 years then they will consider Shannon cured. That is what we are shooting for and I know he’s going to make it.
Our other good news is that we took a little trip to Texas to visit Shannon’s family and spend Father’s Day with his Dad and the rest of the family. It is hard to get a large family together all at the same time but it happened for Father’s Day and we had a wonderful time. Shannon did excellent with everything. We took some little side trips to see different things and take some pictures and visited with some old friends. It was a trip we have been wanting to make for some time and at some points wondered if we’d ever be able to do. It feels like such an accomplishment. Taking a trip requires eating in different restaurants. Eating can be a challenge for someone who has had radiation to his neck but Shannon did wonderfully. He was able to eat more than he has been before. We even ate in a few Mexican food restaurants and he was even able to sample the salsa. Amazing and wonderful!
Shannon will have a follow-up with his chemo oncologist in August and another with the surgeon in October and then another with the radiation oncologist in December. This first year they want more follow-ups to be sure the cancer stays gone. There will be yearly PET scans and fewer follow-ups after that but they will still keep a close eye on things for the 5 years. We are both keeping very positive and will continue to pray that Shannon will have his cure. In the meantime we will enjoy every minute of every day because each one is a gift.
We have just gotten home from seeing the radiation oncologist and we got the news we’ve been praying to hear. All clear! No sign of the cancer in the PET scan he had on Monday or in the doctor’s exam. We are relieved, thrilled, ecstatic and we feel so blessed. There really aren’t enough words there to describe how wonderful it is to get this news but you get the idea. 
The doctor says that from now on Shannon only needs a once a year PET scan along with follow-up doctor visits in between to keep an eye on things. We will be going back to this doctor in 6 months. We already had an appointment with the surgeon for the end of June and there is an appointment with the chemo oncologist shortly before Shannon sees this doctor again.
The doctor today seemed very pleased with Shannon’s progress as far as maintaining his weight and his eating. Shannon does still have problems with a few things because the radiation has damaged his saliva glands. The biggest trouble he has is with things like bread which tends to just clump up in his mouth and form a lump he can’t swallow. Most other things he can eat fairly well. Acidic type foods such as citrus or vinegar and very spicy things are also still hard for him to eat but that has improved a lot so maybe he’ll be able to get back to his spicy Mexican food yet. The doctor says he sees a big improvement since the last visit and that the eating will continue to improve slowly over the next couple of years.
Thank you all so much for all the support you’ve given to Shannon and me through all this. All the prayers and well wishes have touched both of us so much and best of all… they worked! I will continue to update this blog whenever Shannon has a doctor visit and I hope to update a bit in between to keep you all informed of his progress. I am not the best at posting updates and I apologize for that. I can promise though that I will update whenever there is any news from a test or a doctor.
Shannon had a follow up appointment with his chemo doctor last week. He was pleased with Shannon’s progress. The doctors are all working together to make sure Shannon has a follow up appointment with at least one of them every couple of months. So far all has been great since the clear PET scan. His next appointment is for his second post-treatment PET scan on May 21 and the appointment to get the results is set for May 23. Waiting for the scans is probably the most difficult thing. We are hoping and praying for another all clear scan.
Shannon has been doing very well with his eating and nutrition. He is very much thinner than he used to be but he feels good at the lighter weight and he is able to maintain. According to most of the charts and things they use these days, he is a healthy weight so there is no need for him to try and gain back all that he lost. He is completely off the Boost and maintaining strictly with what he eats for meals now. That is such a great thing. While his lifestyle is still a bit altered after all the treatments, it is getting more and more normal as time goes on. His progress has been fantastic.
I will continue to post updates when Shannon has had a doctor’s appointment or scan. I am looking forward to being able to continue giving you good news.