Ian’s Scan 5/2/24
Yesterday was scan day. The days leading up to it were filled with anxiety, as usual. My nerves were so on edge the few days beforehand, I dropped and broke so many things. We knew Ian’s ventricles were slowing starting to increase in size from the previous scans, and we were worried that it be the continued trend with this one.
But our prayers were answered, and Ian was declared stable once again!
The ventricles are still enlarged, but they are the same size they were 3 months ago, which is good. As long as Ian doesn’t present symptoms of hydrocephalus, we are okay to go without a shunt. YAY!!! One less thing to worry about. At least for the time being.
As for his tumors, everything was stable, which means they didn’t shrink, but they also didn’t grow, which the is the ultimate goal.
We will follow up with oncology and another scan 3 months from now, which means we are cleared to enjoy summer, assuming no new symptoms arise that would be cause for concern.
However, we do have a lot of other appointments coming up. On Monday, we follow up with Endocrinology about concerns we have with Ian’s weight. He seems to be retaining a lot of it, and despite keeping him pretty active and us watching what he eats, it doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference. He’s gained 20 pounds in the last year, and we know Ian getting to a point of obesity can cause more issues than we already have.
Next Friday, he’ll also have an echo done to test his heart, as his oral chemotherapy pill can cause certain heart issues. We normally get this done after his scan when he still under sedation but the last echo showed a possible concern. Not enough the doctor wanted to take him off the medication, but enough that he wanted Ian to have this next echo done while being awake and not in a state of sedation, which could have altered the test.
The beginning of June, we have to follow up with neurology just to see how he’s doing since we’ve had recent med adjustments from his breakthrough seizures a few months ago.
And he’s also scheduled for dental surgery at the end of June. He needs some caps put on all four of his back molars. Because of Ian’s autism and brain injury, it was decided it would be best to have that done under sedation. While he’s sedated, the dental team will also take x-rays and give his teeth a really good cleaning.
Overall, Ian is doing really well, and we couldn’t be more thankful for that. We’re starting to see his stubborn and defiant self come back more and more. He’s getting physically and mentally stronger each day, and I’m excited to see how he’ll continue to blossom.