One Step Forward...

Two steps back...Mom's visit at the doctor didn't exactly excite us, and it did, in a word, disappoint.

We got the PET scan test results back which were as inconclusive as you can get. Not only do her doctors not have a diagnosis for her, but they can't even really pinpoint the problem.

It might be an infection, it might be cancer, it might be damage from the radiation. They called it "activity".

My immediate reaction was (and is to most things) "So, what are we going to do about it?". The answer is, she is going in to Sioux Falls for a Bronchoscopy.

What is a Bronchoscopy? Good thing you asked, because I really didn't have much of a clue. Directly from Wikipedia here it is...

"Bronchoscopy is a technique of visualizing the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An instrument (bronchoscope) is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a tracheostomy. This allows the practitioner to examine the patients airways for abnormalities such as foreign bodies, bleeding, tumors or inflammation. Specimens bay be taken from inside the lungs. The construction of bronsoscopes ranges from rigid metal tubes with attached lighting devices to flexible optical fiber instruments with realtime video equipment."

So, needless to say we're a little discouraged... one step forward... two steps back. We're sad, frustrated, discouraged, and scared. Your prayers while Mom pre pairs and goes through with this process would be appreciated!

As always, we'll keep you posted.

All my Love,

-A