More a Thunderstorm, Than a Cloud

Leo's prognosis has changed today and it's cast a thunderstorm over his future, more so than the cloud which was there when this all first happened.

Unfortunately, the biopsy results have now been examined by four people across the globe from Great Ormond Street to specialists in the USA, and it's been confirmed the tumour is alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma as opposed to embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is much more aggressive and so luckily with Leo, it's not spread as shown in the batch of tests such as MRI, bone scan and bone marrow exam of a few weeks ago. However, his chances of remission drop from 80% to 50% so he basically has a 50% chance the cancer will come back.

Plus we've the option to continue a maintenance chemotherapy treatment protocol for this cancer tumour once this current protocol is completed which would see Leo having daily chemo for six months. So finish this lot in October or a little later if things slip due to illness etc, and then another six months of chemo every day, but it's not a decision we need to make just yet.

And thankfully, given Leo's age, he does not need to worry himself about these things. He's done lots of painting and playing this week, although he does think it's his birthday pretty much every day due to all the presents he's being given. So we've started a sticker chart with him so as to keep his behaviour on an even keel instead of the times he slips into spoilt child and we will probably set up a donation website to help raise funds for Clic Sargent, which is the awesome UK charity for children with cancer and / or leukemia. They part-fund nurses, a professor and play therapists across the UK plus help families of children with cancer by offering a 'Home from Home' such as the one we're currently able to stay in until we find somewhere we can call home.

No doubt there are more storms on the horizon but it's how we deal with them which will determine how we get Leo through this.