Treatment Next Steps

We were at Vanderbilt today for consultation and simulation with Caroline's Radiation Oncologist and his team. Fortunately, it looks like the tumor is clearly accessible for radiation with minimal risk of damaging any organs or other body parts.  In the picture below, Caroline is showing off one of the 3 marks she has on her abdomen/torso that will be used as identifiers for her upcoming treatment.  

The plan is for her to receive 5 SBRT photon radiation treatments (higher dose, ultra-concentrated radiation) starting late next week followed by progress scans in late July.  The side effects should be limited to nausea and fatigue, and hopefully not cut into her summer too much.  

Thank you for the support and prayers!

The Lantz Family

#carolinestrong 

#ftgf

A Weekend of Distraction

We will finalize Caroline's "next steps" for treatment this Thursday (5/15) and update the blog as soon as we're able.

In the meantime, we had an incredible weekend of distractions!

Caroline had the honor of being the Official Child Ambassador of the for the 84th Running of the Iroquois Steeplechase, which benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital.  Thank you to everyone that made our day so special - we had a truly amazing time making memories we'll never forget!  

News Channel 5 Steeplechase Segment featuring Caroline - CLICK HERE to watch

Watching the Race from the Bell Tower!

Ringing the bell to start the race!

Mother's Day at Arrington

Scan Results

Caroline had a CT and PET scan at Vandy today to check progress post radiation treatments.

RESULTS:

- The spot they radiated in March by her neck is no longer visible on imaging.

- A spot in her abdomen that was present in Sept 2024, but not visible in January 2025, is now back and measuring at 5mm.

The next step is for us to (again) review any/all options with her medical team to decide the path forward.  This is obviously not the news we all wanted, but she wants to fight and we will power forward once again. 

As soon as we have an update/definitive plans, we will update the blog.  

Thank you so much for your continued love, support and most importantly prayers for Caroline and our family.

The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

5mm "new/old" spot now visible - highlighted in yellow right up against her aorta.

Ringing the Bell!

Caroline was able to "ring the bell" today, signifying the radiation portion of her treatment is complete!  She will have a 6-week break to allow the radiation to "do its magic," then get progress scans in May to measure her cancer/next steps.  

Thank you SO much to the entire Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Radiation Oncology team...they were amazing from the time we walked in the door, until we left!

So grateful,

The Lantz Family

#carolinestrong

#ftgf

Radiation Treatment

Caroline had her first photon radiation treatment today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. There was some anxiety leading up to the appointment, but she did great! She will get radiation every week day until the end of March.  We'll post an update when she's completed all of her radiation treatments (unless something unexpected happens).

Thank you for your continued support for our family - we really appreciate the words of encouragement, gift cards and prayers.

Love,

The Lantz Family

The "wish" tree in Radiation Oncology lobby.

Radiation Treatment Planning

Caroline had her radiation oncology simulation at Vanderbilt today.  The team measured/marked her treatment area and fitted her for a custom mesh stabilizer brace that will hold her still during the radiation treatment.  She will begin the 20 cycles on Wednesday, February 26th, going every weekday until completion.  Potential short-term side effects are: nausea, fatigue and redness/tenderness near the radiated skin.

We are VERY proud of Caroline's bravery (always, but especially today)...she did a great job calming herself down using a mediation technique her Aunt Joanna taught her to power through the scary prep process.  She is wise and mature beyond her years; we are very fortunate!

Thank you so much for the continue kind words, prayers, and support...much appreciated!

Love,
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Scan Results

Caroline's scan results showed good news overall.  One of her cancerous spots is no longer visible on imaging, and the other one measured smaller than it did in November.  She has one pesky spot between her left carotid and left subclavian arteries that has appeared throughout her cancer journey dating back to 2017.  We discussed a preliminary plan with her team to proceed with localized radiation as Caroline's next treatment step.  We will know more details in the coming days, but for now, indications are that it most likely will be ~17-20 treatments over a 4 week period, and then re-scan to see if anything still appears on imaging.

WE CAN'T EXPRESS HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE TO THE VANDY MEDICAL TEAM! They are very thorough, but also prompt and compassionate in their care!

We will update the blog as soon as we get treatment details.

Please keep the prayers coming!

THANK YOU,
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong 

#fgtf

Unexpected Hospital Admission

Last week was a really rough week for Caroline at home. She was presenting with various "not well" symptoms all week, especially exhaustion. By Saturday morning, she spiked a fever that led us to an ER visit at Vanderbilt. After getting lab work and nasal swabs done, the provider admitted her to try and figure out what was going on. She got IV fluids, IV antibiotics, a blood transfusion and a platelet transfusion between Saturday and Monday. The viral panel tests and bacterial cultures all came back negative, so we still aren't sure what "infected" her body, but fortunately she is now feeling better and recovering at home and sleeping in her own bed.

Hopefully she can stay healthy until her scheduled progress scans next week (on Tuesday, 1/28). Please pray for great results; we'll post the scan results on the blog asap.

Thank you all for the outreach and support! Once again, we used your DoorDash and UberEats gifts cards all weekend so we didn't have to eat hospital food - MUCH APPRECIATED! 💜

Love,
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Home and feeling much better!

Outpatient Cycle 4 - Complete

Caroline wrapped up Cycle 4 of her treatment today. Rash and itching were the primary side effects during the infusions, but she is safe at home although she's feeling really "yucky" and off.  She will get daily shots to help boost her immune system, which is currently registering at close to zero. Unless she encounters any issues or illnesses, her next scheduled appointment is for progress scans on 1/28 at Vanderbilt.

We're very appreciative of all the prayers, packages, meals and words of inspiration!

The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Cycle Delay for Snow

Clinic is closed today due to snow, so Caroline's last infusion for this cycle of treatment was moved to Monday.  Sending warm wishes to all our friends!

Cycle 4 Underway

Caroline started cycle 4 of her current treatment plan today: Immunotherapy + 2 Chemotherapies. Although nothing "unexpected" happened, it was still a really rough day for her...treatment had to be paused for very scary low blood pressure (57/30!). The team woke her, sat her up, got steroids in her, and gave her some IV fluids before being able to re-start treatment. She also broke out in a really bad rash all over her body, which makes it itch like crazy. It was a long, 7-hour day today in clinic, but thankfully she was able to complete the treatment and is now home resting up for tomorrow's chemotherapies.

As always, the Vandy staff did an amazing job making sure Caroline was safe today, and we can't say enough how appreciative we are for their care!

Thank you for all the prayers, meals, and overall support during this challenging time for our family!

Love,
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf