Clear MRI, but basically it's 'as you were'

So we were encouraged today to hear that the MRI scan of his spine and head showed nothing by way of additional tumours. Pads walked home most of the way from school with me today (he needs gentle exercise to encourage his muscles to come back) and was trying to clarify just what level of 'good news' this was. It means that they are unlikely to have to 'boost' what was already planned, which would have meant harsher treatment to the area where they spotted a tumour. Even though the scan was 'clear' and 'as good as it could be', the oncologist warned that there was no way we could consider not having radiotherapy/chemo because the cells we are dealing with are too dangerously quick to reproduce.
Although I said that the next thing was the 23rd and consenting, we discovered today that there is another test to be done to check the fluid around his spine and brain for mobile cancer cells. This will involve taking a small sample of the fluid which means another anaesthetic to perform a 'lumbar puncture' next Thursday.
Just to add here that some of you will not have spotted that it is possible to leave comments to these posts; just click on the word 'comment' at the bottom of any message. I usually pick these up eventually. If you prefer though, just email me.
This picture shows what was behind the wallpaper in the room we are doing up. It reads something like, 'Papered by.... of 39, Pedair Erw Road, Birchgrove, 22/2/1947' - so, just after the war - he must have been amazed to have survived!