I am in a couple cancer related support groups on Facebook. One is for moms of kids with cancer, Momcology. The other is a group specific to Eli’s type of cancer, Rhabdomyosarcoma. One common theme that comes up is something the parents in these groups call “scanxiety”, the anxiety felt while waiting for the outcome of each set of scans.

Well, here I am, waiting for the first of this next set of scans to see whether treatment is still working:

I am enjoying some beautiful harp music, thanks to one of the many music volunteers at Primary Children’s Hospital. Eli’s last set of diagnostic scans were end of December/ beginning of January and a lot has happened since then–surgery, radiation, more chemo.

As far as we know, the treatment is still working and everything will look good when the MRI and PET scan are done, but we won’t know for sure until we’re done with the scans. I hate waiting, but we have lots of experience with it. I’m currently waiting the 2-3 hours for Eli’s MRI.

Eli gets to watch movies and I get to, well, update this blog and listen to piano music, since the harpist finished her shift and the pianist started his.

I should be able to access the radiologist’s report by tomorrow, I hope, and at least have an idea whether there is any sign of cancer in his leg. There shouldn’t be. The radiation oncologist was very confident that, at least in the radiated areas of Eli’s body, the cancer should be dead. The PET scan should show whether it spread anywhere else since last time we checked, but that’s not until next week.

Waiting.