Update on Robin as of 08/15/2007

After the Blog update went out last weekend, Robin’s Ophthalmologist,
Dr. William Foster (see http://www.WilliamFosterMD.com) read it and called to ask if he could help with her vision before she started treatments for cancer. He reasoned that once she started radiation treatments, which require she lay on her back, the blood in her eyes would be stirred up and he would not be able to give her more laser to abate the diabetic retinopathy. She agreed, and on Friday, August 10th, Robin met with him . Dr. Foster (who, like Robin, is a pianist) examined her and suggested that she go to two pairs of glasses (rather than bifocals) for reading and distance. He thought that separate reading glasses (with a focal point designed for reading music on the piano) would help her vision with a wider and taller field of view. Her prescription had changed (in the six months since we purchased those EXPENSIVE DESIGNER BIFOCALS (but I’m not bitter)), so he wrote new prescriptions for her glasses. He was RIGHT!!! When Robin played on Sunday, she said the reading glasses were a improvement over the bifocals.

Did I tell you what a great guy Dr. Foster is? He arranged to meet Robin on Saturday (while his family from out of town was visiting him, mind you) to put more Laser in her right eye in hope of stopping the bleeding. He truly has our gratitude!!! We would like to recommend him to anyone who needs an Ophthalmologist. He specializes in retina disorders, but he is certainly qualified for any eye problem (see his website at the link above for more info). Dr. Foster plays the piano, and he has a PhD in Physics and an MD. Robin likes him because he plays piano, and I like him because he is a bit of a geek. And on top of that, he (IMHO) is true Catholic Christian gentleman. Please think of him if you know someone who has eye problems.

Back to Robin: On Tuesday, August 14th, Robin and I met with her Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Hatch at UTMB in Galveston. It was a very informative and helpful meeting. (You can read more about Dr. Hatch here: http://www.utmb.edu/radoncology/docs/hatch.htm (although it is a little out of date)). Dr. Hatch was Robin’s Radiation Oncologist for her breast cancer treatments, and we think very highly of her. She spent lots of time explaining what the test reports said (and what they didn’t say), and she answered our MANY questions. First, let me say that the reports were not definitive that the abnormality was cancer; just that the damage was consistent with metastasis to the bone, which is fairly common after breast cancer. She said the reports stated that the lesions were reported in the bone, not the spinal cord (the bundle of nerves which is connected to the brain). This was important because Robin, who works with people who have “brain insult,” is very concerned about potential for metastasis to the brain. If they had seen signs of cancer in the spinal cord, then spreading to the brain would be a serious concern because the spinal cord and brain are surrounded by Cerebrospinal fluid, which circulates between them. However, it appeared that the spinal cord was not even being pushed or pinched by the bone compression.

Dr. Hatch then discussed the path we would take to get definitive answers, and where we would go from there, based on some of the possible findings. First, she prescribed an MRI of the vertebra to get a better view of the site, and a PET/CT Scan of her body to determine if there were any other possible cancer sites. She said that, if the vertebra is the only site showing signs of possible cancer, then she would advise a needle biopsy to know what we are dealing with. She said that bone cancer in the vertebra is very manageable, and Robin would get radiation and chemo afterwards. If cancer shows in other places, the treatment plan would have to be different. She also discussed strategies for repair of the vertebra to reverse the damage and alleviate the pain. As we understood the process, this would be done before radiation. Overall, Dr. Hatch laid out a logical and methodical path towards defining exactly what we are dealing with, and then devising the best approaches for dealing with it. We felt great relief because we understand better where we are going and we have confidence that we are going to make progress now that Dr. Hatch is in charge. In fact, her associate, Dr. Rao, called the next day (Wednesday) to set up Robin’s MRI. We are off to the races.

Thanks to everyone who has been sending forth prayers and good thoughts on Robin’s behalf. Please continue to pray for us, especially Robin. We will continue to pray for each of you, and for all those with cancer.

Love from the Burnses,
Larry and Robin (and John)