results of MRI and vision tests

So, the good and the not so good...

TUMOR: Zoe's tumor SHRUNK a millimeter in each direction - this is really significant!  The doctors never suggested as a possibility that the tumor would shrink. They said chemotherapy may "neutralize" the tumor and was known on occasion to possibly "soften" the tumor, but they told us NOT to expect the tumor to shrink. Zoe's MRI showed the shrinkage to be about 10-15 percent.  Also, the measured proptosis (eye bulge) has lessened, which the doctor said could be the result of the tumor shrinking.  The test results affirmed our belief in prayer and made us grateful for modern medicine.

EYE: The imaging of Zoe's right optic nerve shows slightly more "pallor" than it did three months ago - a pale optic nerve is not a good thing.  If the chemo has the potential to have a positive impact on vision, Dr. Avery said it could take 3-6 months before results are noticed.  We'll repeat tests in three months and re-evaluate.

BLOOD TESTS: The dreaded "N" word again - neutropenic.... grrrrr....  We actually expected this to happen since Zoe has had full doses of carboplatin the past two weeks.  Back to isolation and the neutropenic diet.  No fun for anyone...

The next phase of treatment will be four weeks of chemo followed by a three week rest period (we'll do two cycles of this and then another MRI and vision test.)  I'm thinking the rest period may be our saving grace.  It looks like Zoe's neutrophil count will continue to be very low whenever she receives carboplatin, so having that break should help her counts come up and allow her to have a bit of summer fun. 

Once again, thank you all for your concern, support, and prayers.