Jocelyn is very fun! People are drawn to her. She’s beautiful and full of life and personality. She is the love of my life!
It’s been a little over a year since her original diagnosis. Her Anaplastic Ependymoma was removed with no evidence of disease, followed by 33 rounds of radiation. Ependymomas have a high return rate, but her specialist told us her odds are better than most, a 70 percent or greater chance of remaining tumor free. Still we are anxious for the anticipated response “NED” no sign of disease at each MRI.
When we first discovered her cancer, we had tremendous support. There was an out pouring of love that overwhelmed. We left the hospital with a truckload of toys from friends and strangers. We had friends bring food over for weeks. It was so hard initially because we were first told it was benign by the surgeons. It wasn’t until the next afternoon that we were told it was cancer. It took an additional 5 weeks to determine that it was an ependymoma and not a glialblastoma. She was given a 70 percent chance of survival. But of course there is no telling. Either it returns or it doesn’t. So we get scans every 3 months. She just came through her most recent one with no sign of disease, but there was a little bit of possible calcification or some other residual from radiation, so they’ll keep their eye on it.
Those things scare me, the long term effects of radiation treatment even if the cancer doesn’t return…. but we don’t live life like that, we live for each day as it presents. And right now things are wonderful. We live each day as it presents and are hopeful for our future.
Hope session by Kelsey Smith Photography | Facebook | Instagram