Riggs pretty much summed it up. I’ll add...
At first we thought a stem cell transplant was imminent (in addition to the radiation) but after more tests (no bone marrow involvement and only 2 lesions) and seeing my initial response to the radiation, they have no plans to put me through that and expect me to make a full recovery with just radiation. They said the leg neuropathy will slowly start to heal itself a couple weeks after my radiation ended (so in about a week) and I should most likely be back to 100% within 6 months.
It’s a little tricky because there is always a good chance it comes back down the line somewhere, but the good news is that there is a treatment for it so they will be able to take care of it again if/when it does come back.
As far as my son goes...
Gibson has to have a skull surgery to repair a condition called metopic craniosynostosis. Basically the front two plates in his skull fused together early, which is what is creating that ridge up and down his forehead. They will do the surgery in early July. They have to cut open the suture (fused plates) and then he will have to wear a helmet for five months to shape his head. They said his head and face will look completely normal when it’s all said and done.
The surgery is low risk and fairly simple (at least that’s how they refer to it, but they are cutting his skull open). The surgeons doing the procedure are experts in this particular surgery and have a pretty incredible resume. It was a little worrisome at first, but we feel good about it now.
Here is a link to a quick article and video about the condition and surgery...
http://www.childrenshospital.org/co...onditions/m/metopic-synostosis-trigonocephaly
I’m not sure if y’all saw Talor and my exchange on the Front Porch thread, but he pointed out the ridge on Gibson’s forehead in a picture I posted and I told him the doctors said it was normal. Well I had been pointing it out to the docs and nurses since the day he was born, asking if that was normal, and they all assured me it was. Well finally after his 2nd visit to his pediatrician where we brought it up, she finally called us and said she had been reading up on it and thinks we should look into it and referred us to a specialist.
Another ship deal, but we are just happy it’s fixable. I tell you what, we feel lucky to be living right next to the med center where we have super-specialists for every niche health situation and surgery imaginable. It’s not something I thought a lot about for my first 35 years of life, but it sure has come in handy lately. My wife and I have had a lot thrown at us over the last 2.5 years, but it has all been fixable. No deaths or long term physical or mental handicaps, and for that we feel lucky.