Fanning the Flames

We just spoke with Enrique's surgeon by telephone with a few last minute questions about the surgery.

She reminded us that the tumor she is removing wasn't there in October. It grew from microscopic bits of leftover cancer that were too small for her to see -- and that weren't killed by the subsequent radiation therapy.

In six months, it has grown to over three centimeters.

That growth is fueled by Enrique's brain, which is sending out a signal to his remaining thyroid cells to grow and produce more thyroid hormones.

That's happening, at least in part, because his dose of synthetic thyroid hormones has been too low. (They've been raising it steadily over the past six months and just did so again.)

As she said, until we get that hormone level right, "we're just fanning the flames" of his cancer.