December 2008 - February 2008
She made it to Vienna in mid-December. By the time they had completed another pathology in Vienna, and taken PET scans, they found another tumor on her rectum and changed the diagnosis to extraskeletal osteosarcoma. They administered chemotherapy in the beginning of February, but that was a bit too late, as Ivas's condition worsened right after the chemo and she fell into a coma. Thankfully, she came out of it on February 18 only to find out that the CT scans were showing that the tumor was growing very fast. Growing so fast in fact, that differences could be seen on consecutive days.

February 20, 2008
A ten-hour operation took place on February 20, and removed many of her female parts, part of her colon, her rectum, her bladder and urethers, part of her pelvic bone, ligaments, muscles, belly button, and obviously the tumor. This was a very difficult and dangerous operation, as the chemotherapy had suppressed Iva's immune system. The risk of infection was great, and the body would be slower at repairing itself. By the grace of God, she survived the surgery.

February 20, 2009 - April 9, 2009
The post-surgical pathology showed that the chemotherapy was very effective, since much of the tumor had necrotized. The apparent growth of the tumor was actually due to bleeding and a haematoma forming around it. Iva continued in the hospital, both while recovering from surgery and receiving more chemotherapy. She was scheduled to continue chemotherapy for nine months, with cycles consisting of three weeks of administering medicine interrupted by two weeks of rest and recovery.

April 10, 2009
According to the Gregorian calendar, 10 April 2009, is Good Friday, sometimes called Black Friday. It was the day Iva was released from the hospital after being there for 54 consecutive days. Iva got some potentially bad news that day, as she found out that her most recent CT scan showed "spots" on her lungs, generally thought to be newly grown tumors in her lungs. It's not supposed to happen. New tumors shouldn't grow while the patient is undergoing chemotherapy. And while the hospital in Vienna is certainly a top-notch facility, the oncology doctors were once again stunned by the results.

April 10, 2009 - April 28, 2009
The first week of recovery in Vienna, Iva spent mostly bed-ridden, with her appetite slowly returning. She went from having no energy to being able to stand up with crutches, and eat several meals per day, which is quite significant. After a long chemotherapy session the recovery simply takes time. Since this was a planned break in chemotherapy, it was also an opportunity to get Iva transferred to one of the world's best cancer treatment centers, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. With God's, help, and through a series of events that a ligned perfectly, Iva was able to make it to Houston on April 28, 2009.

April 29, 2009 - May 5, 2009
An introduction to M. D. Anderson, and a full week of tests awaits Iva on the April 29, while we all pray for the test results to come back negative. More X-rays and MRIs continue until May 5, at which time she begins her next cycle of treatment.

May 6, 2009 - May 12, 2009
Iva's doctor, Dr. Ludwig, confirmed that Iva has two metastases, one in her lung, and one in her spine. However, at the meeting on May 6, he appeared cautiously optimistic that the chemotherapy can stop the growth of the two spots. God willing, if the chemotherapy reduces the tumors, there is still a chance for Iva's full recovery from cancer. On May 7, Iva was admitted to M. D. Anderson due to a fever. Subsequently, a seroma had to be drained out of her to remove the infection. She was released on May 12, accompanied with a $35,000 bill. She would have to settle the $35,000 first, and pay another $85,000 upfront if she was to be treated with chemotherapy at M. D. Anderson.

May 13, 2009 - May 17, 2009
Thank God, on May 12 Iva was able to find a Texas Oncology center called Deke Slayton Cancer Center, where the administration was much more understanding of the situation and was willing to work with financially, whether it was payments or discouts for paying in cash. And even though Dr. Kodali had never worked with a soft tissue sarcoma patient, she was willing to administer the chemotherapy with under the direction of Dr. Ludwig.

May 18, 2009 - current
On May 18 Iva begun a chemotherapy cycle of Adromyacin and Ifofsamide, that was administered over 5 consecutive days. Following a four-week break, Iva went through another 5-day cycle. In a few days the doctors will begin a restaging of the cancer. Restaging includes a multitude of tests, including a PET scan, two CT scans, an MRI with and without contrast, and several X-rays. The restaging process will determine the effectiveness of the chemotherapy. Pray to God that the chemo is 100% effective.

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