Biopsy Results!

I just received this text message from Ty.

NY just called, the spots are BENIGN!
Praise the Lord,
Ty

I was immediately covered in goosebumps. If that doesn’t make your day, I don’t know what will.

Further tests are scheduled for the week of August 10th. The scans will be repeated. If the tumors grow, they may require treatment, but it’s too early to predict.

On behalf of the Eigners, thanks for all the prayers and support!

Biopsy Update

Hello All,

Peter’s biopsy went very well this morning.  It did not take as long as we expected and the Dr. felt that he got plenty of tissue for a good sample.  Peter rested in the hospital for a couple hours afterword, ate some lunch and then we headed back to the Ronald McDonald House.  He is doing very well and is not in any pain.  We are heading home to the Twin Cities tomorrow morning, which is great.  We don’t have any results of the biopsy yet, but the Dr. told us to call back to the hospital next Tuesday and they should have some findings.  So all in all today went as well as it could have and now we will continue to pray with all of you that the biopsy results are benign and not NB.  As always, we cannot thank you enough and we are completely humbled by the support that you all have given to Peter and our family.

God Bless,

Ty, Erika and Peter

(Peter waking up from the biopsy)
Waking up from the biopsy

The Past Year

Some of you might not have seen Peter recently and we keep saying how well he’s doing, so I thought I’d offer some proof. Here are photos from the past year, ending with a few from this very trip that Erika snapped with her phone.

In one picture he’s playing baseball at the Ronald McDonald Day Camp and I heard he hit two home runs. Peter could play baseball all day in the summer, so it’s great to see he took some cuts in the big city.

Another picture shows Peter walking back from the day camp with another little camper and new friend. I understand that they didn’t have to hold hands. They just did.

The biopsy is just hours away as I post this. Outcomes will be shared as they become available. Thanks for all your support.

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NY Update

Hello All,

As Uncle Matt stated in his post, we now have a plan.  Peter will have a needle biopsy done Friday morning at 8am.  This is good news being that a needle biopsy is much easier on Peter than the other option.  We pray that they are able to get enough tissue to clarify what it is we are dealing with. 

As for yesterday, it was a long day of waiting.  Peter had a blast in the playroom at the clinic and in the playroom at the Ronald McDonald House.  Erika and I mainly sat back and watched him.  He played with many different kids of varying ages.  He treats them all as if they are his lifelong friends.  It is really neat to watch.  He shot baskets, played knee hockey, video games, board games, checkers and was truly enjoying himself.  Erika and I were trying to see if there was anything he really wanted to do, and his response was always “go to the playroom”. 

For those of you that have not been to Memorial Sloan Kettering, it is quite the place.  You are there with people from all over the world who’s children are being treated for various types of this awful disease.  I often catch myself watching how all these people interact.  It is definately an interesting sight.  Then I am always drawn back to Peter, he is so polite and kind to everyone he comes in contact with, Erika and I are so proud of him. 

As for Friday, we continue to pray that Peter was healed two years ago and these spots are something other than Neuroblastoma.  It is very difficult to sit and wait, but we draw strength from Peter, from God and from all of you.  This is another test for our family and I am confident that with the grace of God and all your  prayers and support we will pass with flying colors.  We can never thank all of you enough and will never take for granted how fortunate we are to have so many people to help us through this.  We are also so blessed that Ellie and Kate are in such good hands with family and friends back home.  Thanks to all of you who have offered to give us a hand with the two of them.  We miss them a ton, but are comforted by the fact they are doing so well.

God Bless,

Ty, Erika and Peter

Biopsy Schedule

Ty, Erika and Peter are in NYC and it’s been a long day consumed by two or three doctor visits and a lot of waiting in between. Although nothing has happened, these days are still a roller coaster ride. Usually they think they understand a short-term schedule, but it changes, and then it changes again.

When they first met with Dr. LaQuaglia, he was planning on performing an open biopsy — an invasive and frightening surgery — tomorrow morning. By the end of the consult, the plan was to do a less invasive needle biopsy to be scheduled later in the week (hopefully). That plan was reviewed by Dr. LaQuaglia and Dr. Kuschner while Ty and Erika waited. Later today that plan was confirmed during a second consult with Dr. L and it’s tentatively scheduled for Thursday.

The plan from there would be one of the following:

  • Needle biopsy shows NB, treatment would be planned
  • Needle biopsy inconclusive, an open biopsy is necessary
  • Needle biopsy shows something other than NB, some treatment

Each discussion with doctors or nurses is emotionally punishing as the possibility of NB recurrence is discussed. Yet the hope is still alive that the spots (actually small tumors inside the liver) are something else.

On the positive side, Peter’s MIBG scans look good and his marrow test is preliminarily good. Peter is strong and ready for whatever comes his way. This morning he got a line put in his arm and he didn’t even flinch (it was removed now that the open biopsy has been rescheduled). He proceeded to play in the playroom throughout the day.

Peter will attend day camp at the Ronald McDonald house the next couple days and have a blast. Erika and Ty will pass the time, somehow.

Pray that the needle biopsy returns conclusive results, avoiding the invasive open biopsy, and that the results are benign.

Back to NY

I had written a post prior to Peter and Erika going to NYC, unfortunately, I was unable to get it to post on the site. Anyway, I wanted to tell everyone how all was going with the Eigner’s. Peter is playing baseball and hockey this summer and loves both. He is growing and gaining weight has a great appetite and lots of energy. We feel like from the outside he is doing awesome, but you never know what is going on inside. I also wanted you all to know how well the girls were doing, Ellie is in hockey and gymnastics and Kate is doing gymnastics this summer. All in all we are doing very well. I was going to ask you to keep Peter in your prayers as he heads back to NYC for his scans and tests and again remind you all how much our family appreciates all of your prayers and support.

As you probably know by now Erika, Peter and I are going back to NYC today to see what the “abnormalities” on his liver are. We do get a 3 hour layover in Milwaukee to see Grandpa Sig, so that will be good. As for NYC, we will let you all know what we are dealing with as soon as we know. We tried our best to have a fun weekend up North, but it was very hard for me. Erika has been incredible since hearing the news of the spots on his liver. She has been positive and strong for all of us. I will be honest this news has made my stomach ache since last Thursday. As the weekend went on, I was strengthened by faith, family and all of you. Each time my phone would beep I would read the text, e-mail or answer the call and immediately feel the wonderful support.

As for today, I will tell you this. Peter is still gaining weight, has a ton of energy, has a great appetite and he and I are going to hockey this morning. He is the same kid he was prior to this weekend. He is a child of God and Erika and I could not love him any more than we do. He has a great family and is supported by so many of you. We continue say many prayers for strength and say “thanks” to all of you for doing the same.

God Bless,

Ty

MRI Results

We got a call from Dr. Kushner’s office last night. Dr. K was in a meeting so we haven’t had a chance to ask him the bazillion questions racing through our minds just yet, but we will soon. The MRI confirmed there are “abnormalities” so they’ve asked us to come back Monday and will biopsy the spots on Wednesday. Dr. LaQuaglia will do this; he is the surgeon who performed Peter’s 3rd abdominal surgery 2 August’s ago. We’re looking at one-way flights at this point; we have no idea what to expect in terms of the invasiveness of the surgery or the recovery, or anything else.
I feel like I’m in shock, but I know Ty is past the shock and feels like he’s being tortured. It breaks my heart equally to see Ty this way and to think about Peter having to endure more “stuff”… we both just want to take his place. He doesn’t even know yet that we have to turn around & leave again and now he’s old enough that a thorough explanation will be required. It reminds me how cute it was in NY last week that every test we went to (most of which he has done a million times)- he would immediately ask the techs, “about how long is this one going to take…. 15 minutes or so?” No such luck… they’re all longer than that!
I wholeheartedly expected a call that the MRI showed nothing. Apparently it’s not too uncommon to see spots on a ct scan that are “nothing”. The ct just shows spots; the MRI helps narrow down what they actually are. That’s why they added the liver MRI. I don’t know if an MRI can also show spots (now “abnormalities”) that end up being nothing too, but I certainly hope so.
For those of you who see Peter regularly, you know how healthy he looks again. We think he has finally regained his strength from the ARDS 2 summers ago – a very long recovery, but his lungs were in pretty rough shape. Not to mention the transplant, radiation, surgeries, chemo he had already been through.
I just don’t even know where to begin or end here, but please pray that this is a false alarm and not our worst enemy coming back for more. Please also pray for our girls, who are always in wonderful hands, but end up being left behind. We know how scary & confusing this all must seem to a 5- and 3- year old.

Update from NYC Testing

Erika and Peter have been in New York this week for Peter’s regular tests. A CT scan showed three spots on Peter’s liver and a MRI was added yesterday  determine what the spots are. Apparently the spots could be Neuroblastoma or they could be nothing to worry about. The full results won’t be back until early next week.

Erika was able to stay calm through the ordeal and didn’t frighten Peter. He just knows that he had an additional liver test. They were able to catch a return flight last night even though their schedule was altered.

Hope and pray that this is a scare and nothing more. It will be a long weekend.