Turns out the initial diagnoses of an astrocytoma tumour was incorrect. This just goes to show how the biopsy of a small sample can not be indicative of the actual tumour.
The tumour is actually a low grade oligodendroglioma. We are happy with this (although now I have to work on pronouncing this new name!). With both the fact of being low grade - and the change from astrocytoma to oligodendroglioma. Although oligodendroglioma's are rarer, they also tend to be more responsive to chemo and radiation! (only 5% of glioma brain tumours are oligodendroglioma's as opposed to 54% being low grade astrocytoma's)
I won't get into technical terms just yet until I know more - but there are characteristics of the tumour which will indicate if the tumour will be more sensitive to treatment - hopefully we'll find all that out soon.
We are renewed with optimism for our next steps.
I have some overdue thanks for the past few weeks:
- Thanks to Dana for the use of her apartment and parking spot while Stefan was at VGH
- Thanks to Rebecca and our parents for helping out with Charlotte (particularly Stefan's mom for helping 'watch' Stefan since he's been home)
- Thanks to my work for the m&m gift card
- Thanks to Stefan's fellow middle school vice-principals for the spa gift card (very much looking forward to that!)
- Thanks for all the calls and email from everyone letting us know they are thinking of us
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