"And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
        KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!"  ~ Dr. Seuss



As some of you already know we have the results from his biopsy. 

Aaron has Hodgkin's Lymphoma with a Bulky Mass.  According to the doctor and our neighbor who is a NP, it's a good cancer to have.  What does that mean?  Is cancer ever a good thing to have?  Well, the truth is, this type of cancer has an 85-90% cure rate.  That's great!  However, he has a bulky mass, which means the mass on his heart is very large and there are issues with eradicating the disease completely when paired with a bulky mass.  He is at higher risk of relapse, but I don't know the statistics on that.  With that being said, it still has a very high success rate. 

In the grand scheme of things the course of treatment is very aggressive, because we are dealing with a very aggressive cancer, so for the next 6-8 months it is going to be a rough go for the Nisbet Clan.  I thought knowing would relieve the stress and as we walked around the Mall tonight with the boys, we both agreed that it didn't relieve that much.  What it did was replace that concern with other thoughts and concerns regarding the side effects of the treatment.  Like for instance, he could develop Leukemia, some vascular disease, impotence and infertility that could be permanent, and the list goes on.  Yes I said impotence.  I'm sure you all didn't want to know about that, but I thought I would include it because it took me by surprise. 

I'm keeping it very short tonight, because it's already been a long day.  We had Aaron's appointment then the boys went to the dentist for the first time today, we went to the mall and out to dinner with friends.  It is after Midnight and we have another appointment for Brody's pre-op in the morning paired with Aaron's coag. appointment.  Brody is going in for his second surgery at the beginning of February.  Then Aaron has another procedure on Wednesday and Thursday.  Then I have an appointment on Friday.  I think the health care community can thank us for their raises this year.  :)