The latest update on Mom

This is the latest email my dad has sent out. I thought I would share it with those of you who are wondering what the latest on mom is. This was actually sent out a few weeks ago so I will keep you posted on the test results.

Family and friends:

My wife was seen by the oncologist at Mayo yesterday and we received some good news. He has her scheduled for 8-10 additional tests over the next three weeks, but he feels that unless these tests show something new he gave us a prognosis based on his experience with her type of cancer.

Even though she has cancer in the liver and small bowel it is a slower moving cancer. It does its dirty deed, it is just slower in doing it than the type that was initially suspected. He said that the average life expectancy for patients with this type of cancer is 8-10 years. He doesn't know how long she has had it, but he is guessing 5 years or so. That is his best guess.

There is one drug that he is interested in trying unless the rest of the tests contraindicate. It works on some patients and doesn't on others. It is completely random. If it does work it can provide a few additional years.

It is amazing how much perspective impacts things. If a month ago a doctor had told me that my wife had 3-5 years to live, maybe more if a drug therapy was successful, I would have been struck by the short amount of time. However, from the perpective of someone that was looking at a few months, years sounds wonderful!

We completely trust the Lord and know that we are all in His hands.

We appreciate your love, faith and prayers.
Mike and Ruth Ann Petramalo

NOTE: Mom had her echocardiagram test and pelvic ultrasounds yesterday which told us that her heart is fine and that the cysts on her ovaries are not cancerous...YAY!!!! On Tuesday she will have a florescent test to see if there are any other types of cancer mixed in with the carcinoma carcinoid cancer and to see where else she has cancer and on Friday she will get a CAT scan of her lungs.