Answers and more questions.

So a little good news first. The bone scan was clear. Yea for this! There is no metastatic cancer anywhere except the lungs. This gives us more options.  The doctor said David's charts look so great it's amazing.

Basically, David is the healthiest person in the world.  Except cancer.

The doctor laid all the options out for us. The first step for any path will be surgery. They will most likely remove the whole kidney. I hate that stupid tumor. I'd like to punch it. 

After it is removed, they will biopsy the tumor to determine what type of cancer it is. Apparently there are a few different types. One is the most common, the others are very rare. Based on stuff I don't know about, he thinks it is most likely the common type.  If it is we have more choices. If it isn't, our choice is only MD Anderson.  

I'm not going to list all the options.  We are leaning toward a clinical study in Houston.  To qualify it has to be the common type.  It would require the surgery to be done there. Then after 4-6 weeks of recovery at home, monthly trips to Houston for the treatment with local monitoring by the Dr. in Kyle.  So our next step would be to visit MD Anderson. Our oncologist here thinks this Dr. at MD Anderson is SO GREAT. He has some fancy title like 'king of all kidney cancer doctors in the world' or something. I'll find out for real and let you know. Anyway, all he does is kidney cancer. So, good. Please pray that we make the best decision for David's health and our family.  

So we asked about diet.  He said don't change anything right now.  It would be too stressful with all that's going on. He also said there aren't clear dietary guidelines for kidney cancer. Just basic good habits like we should all follow.  Yeah.  We should do a little better there...

And we asked about heredity.  David lost his father to kidney cancer about 7 years ago. He asked some questions about the rest of his family, mainly his father's siblings and cousins. He thinks it is not genetic.  Just some unfortunate coincidence.

Even with all the good news, this is still big. We know that.  We also know that our God is bigger!  He is in control. I like to be in control.  I have to let God. That annoys me but I'm trying...

Thank you all for your prayers (we truly feel them) and cards and hugs. 

We are in a little better place now and can talk about it with you if it helps you. A little. If it gets to be too much, I will wave you off or walk away. Just know it's not personal.  I just have reached a limit.  

Oh, and one more thing.  Any connection with the name of this blog and me looking like Valerie Bertinelli, (one of the actresses from the show with the same name as the blog), is not intentional.  But if you think I do, thanks!

Thank you for loving us.