4 years

NPR recently did a two-part story on a family with a son that has Retinoblastoma. The father is developing software to help diagnose retinoblastoma through photos. Certainly, it is interesting for that aspect. Will and I each heard it separately and were drawn to tears hearing the story of the how the child was diagnosed. It hit close to home. Each part is approximately eight minutes and well worth the time spent listening.

Part one

Part two

These stories aired just days after the fourth anniversary of Anya's diagnosis. This past year of the journey of Retinoblastoma in our family brought a few more challenges: a second surgery on her eyelid and the discovery of some endocrine problems. These two events meant more appointments than the previous year, and that coupled with a less agreeable patient made for some trying moments. There are a few big picture things to focus on, each of which are positive. The first is Anya's overall health. While she has hit a few bumps in the road, she is still on the road. None of these bumps are life-threatening. The second is that she is one year closer to five. If you or someone you love is a cancer survivor, you likely know the significance of five. Five years post diagnosis is a standard marking point for being a survivor. The chances of recurrence decrease markedly at that point. For the upcoming year, in relation to Anya's Rb, we can anticipate one MRI, one oncology check-up, and two eye exams. It doesn't seem like much compared to what she has gone through in the past.