Patrick's Day) we had an MRI appointment from the pediatrician to see why Cameron was vomiting often and complaining about his head hurting at night. At that time we were told that Cameron had a Ependymoma Brain Tumor that needed immediate attention. So we traveled directly to the Florida Hospital in Orlando. Cameron was scheduled for brain surgery on Friday 3/19/10 to have the tumor removed. After 99 days in the Hospital in 2010 - re-teaching Cameron how to walk talk and eat again, and MRI's every 3 months - a tumor reoccurred in June of 2011. So on 6/3/11 Cameron went back in for surgery to have the second tumor removed. Cameron will be completing 23 radiation treatments to prevent any further occurrence. Patrick's Day 2010 was the day that our lives were turned upside down. We were told those words that no parent ever wants to hear. Your son has cancer. He was diagnosed with Ependymoma, a brain tumor. He was sent to Orlando for emergency surgery. He spent 99 days in the hospital, had to relearn to walk, talk, & eat. After surgery, the day after his third birthday he started radiation treatments. He had to endure 33 radiation treatments under sedation. Cameron was then sent to Jacksonville to a rehab hospital for one month.
1st Reccurance - We were told that Cameron has scar tissue that is growing at his incision site that needed to be removed. Once the surgeon went in to remove the scar tissue, he discovered that it was another tumor. Cameron then had to endure 25 more radiation treatments.
2nd Reccurance - Cameon's skull was showing 8x thicker then it should be in the MRI. It was then discovered that a tumor is growing into Cameron's skull. He had to have a huge portion of his skull removed and had to wear a helmet for 4 months. He was then accepted into a chemotherapy trial at St. Jude in Memphis, TN for the summer.
3rd Reccurance - The trial at St. Jude showed a new tumor growing since starting the trail and he was removed from the trail and sent home to start a new trial at Arnold Palmer Hospital. We were told that to be eligible for this trial, he could not have surgery to remove the tumor. Cameron's mri showed growth in tumor and was removed from this trial.
4th Reccurance - Cameron's recent tumor is growing dangerously close to his vein and the surgeon in Florida says it is inoperable. After speaking to the surgeon at St. Jude, he was willing to try to operate. The pre-surgery MRI showed that he has a second and new tumor. He will start a daily oral chemo and a bi-weekly chemo infusion after surgery.
5th Reccurance - Cameron went a whole year with no tumor, but unfortunately he now has a new tumor growing at the vein site, again. We will be having surgery in Memphis, TN and will be discussing treatment options after surgery.
