We met with Dr. Loukas today and, as we had hoped, he has cleared Maggie for a chemo “break.”  He said that the tumors are definitely still all there but that they are inactive.  He also said that Dr. Curly, the liver surgeon at MD Anderson had called to report that surgery is still not an option.  But, at least for a little while we get a little break.

It’s a “break” or, as Maggie likes to say “chemo light” because she’ll still be getting Avastin every two weeks.  But she won’t be getting the really tough chemicals, the ones that hammer her down to the point of misery.  The lack of those same hardcore drugs will let her ravished immune system and bone marrow rebuild itself.  No doubt her energy levels will likewise skyrocket.

It’s a good thing, really, to get a break but scary, too.  Dr. Loukas claims that the Avastin will help maintain the ground we’ve gained in the war.  But tumors, as we’ve learned, are crafty little bastards and they adapt.  They will likely start growing again, something we haven’t seen since December 2006.  Those were bad days, ones we’d rather not repeat.  The chemo break heads us down that path intentionally….  We’ll be getting scans again in three months and checking all the pertinent signs (CEA levels, liver functionality…) watching for any hints of activity.  Whether it’s three weeks, three months, three years or longer, if/when those bastards start up again, so will we.

For now, however, we’ll enjoy our little “break.”  Actually, it’s more than that, really.  It’s a cause for celebration!