A little positive news, a little disappointing news and some news that we weren’t wanting to hear at all – that’s what happened today. First thing this morning, Brandon got the disappointing news that they were taking him down to install the PICC line in his chest, rather than in his arm. That’s the line they will use for his nutrition. This is the same type of line he had when he had dialysis, and you probably remember the challenges he had with that last summer.

He had the GI scope around noon, and that’s where the positive news came in. They didn’t find anything concerning or unexpected with that. He’s had some ongoing GI issues unrelated to the mesothelioma, but those looked to be in remission.

Then came the PET scan and the news we were not wanting to hear. The PET scan did show some progression of disease since the last scan in February. His oncology surgeon is out of town until Monday, but the thinking is that he will probably want to schedule another CRS/HIPEC surgery soon. He will have to make the call as to whether or not Brandon is a candidate for this surgery again, so we are still a little up in the air on exactly what happens next. Brandon was trying to hold positive thoughts that his symptoms were just related to the intestinal blockage and the flu he had earlier in the year, so it was definitely a letdown to hear the scan results. Just when he was at his lowest point of the day, one of the pastors from his church showed up for a visit and really helped lift his spirits. It was exactly what he needed at exactly the right time. He’s still struggling with what lies ahead, but knowing he has  family (including his church family and work family) and friends praying for and supporting him is extremely important right now.