I said I would fill everyone in on our concerns with the kidney, so here you go:
Clayton's radiation dose is 2100 grey. The only organ in the abdomen that cannot safely handle that dose is the kidney. All of the other organs can handle much more than 2100 grey, but the kidney can only safely handle 1800 grey. Because the tumor butted up against the kidney's surface though it is necessary to radiate it. Technically a person can function with only one-third of one kidney, but we do not want to chance that, so they have designed the radiation so that at least two-thirds of his kidney receive 1800 grey or less. The radiologist here said that COG hospitals treat the entire kidney with 2100 grey...good for us we are here; I have met children who have one kidney because they lost one after radiation at a COG hospital! We don't have one to lose...
Anyway, I attached a picture of the actual plan from Clayton's radiation for those interested. It tells you based on the colored lines, which areas will receive which strength of radiation. Percentages are based off of the 2100 grey dosage. So if the line shows the area within it gets 90% then it is getting 90% of the 2100 grey dose. (The picture is looking up at Clayton's abdomen from his feet. His kidney is represented by the orange circle-like figure.)
By doing his radiation in two low dose rounds a day rather than one high dose round a day, the radiologist said we are minimizing our chance of any long term side effects. She is also optimistic that we will not see any kidney damage, but if there were damage, it could be four to five months before we would see it.
We of course did not have to do the radiation, as with everything we have a choice. However, without radiation, the chance it will relapse in is abdomen is 50%, with the radiation the chance of relapse in his abdomen is 10%. That does not include the risk of relapse anywhere else in his body, just his abdomen. The overall relapse rate is unfortunately much higher, BUT we have helped our chances by doing the radiation...that's something.
We are done though! Please pray his kidney does not suffer any damage!
Check out the door to the radiation room...it's like a foot wide!
Oh, and when they get ready to do radiation every round we have to look at a picture they took and verify who he is.
And with his cough he had to be isolated this week, so he has been cruising the hospital corridors like this:
Foot popped out and all. This boy is not scared to kick back and get comfy. So sweet!
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