Trip to MD Anderson in Houston

We went over to Houston about 2 weeks ago to meet with Doctors at MD Anderson. It's one of the leading cancer hospitals in the country and we wanted to know if Rachel would get anything different there. The oncologist there thought that Rachel looked great and he said that he would continue her on her current drugs as long as she does this well. It was reassuring to hear another oncologist say that she's doing great!
We also got to meet with the radiologist there and that was interesting. They agreed to do Proton radiation on Rachel when she needs it. This technology is the main reason that we went to meet with doctors there. It is a newer kind of radiation that is not widely available. It will not damage other organs around her spine. It has a beam that can be directed exactly where it needs to go so it's ideal for someone like Rach who has to have her entire spine radiated on. It is also less harsh on her system as a whole. The only down side is that it still will have the same effects that regular radiation does in the brain because her entire brain has to be radiated. They also told us that her cancer is not curable without radiation, not advice we like to hear. Also, that radiating on someone her age has huge risks even at 3. They think that they will cause some damage and there is no way to know how much. It can range from learning disabilities to mental retardation. These are things that we've heard before so we are hoping for the best because this is the only way to save her.
Overall, our trip went really well. We are not planning on transferring to Houston until she needs radiation or we decide to do a clinical trial there. The doctors were very positive about her outlook and it was actually the first time that we have felt like this is curable after meeting with so many doctors!