Friday, July 11, 2014

All good things, all good things

I will present to you my good news not in the order in which it was received, but arranged by the magnitude of relief it provided.  The first item provided the most relief, and the last item was relief-neutral.  That means that no new fears were introduced today.  HUZZAH for no new bodily concerns!!

1)  The taxotere did not leak.  It turns out that I was quite anxious about this.  The cancer might take me down before I'm ready, but dammit I will be typing until my dying breath.  Huzzah for no burning tendons!

2)  The PET scan revealed no new cancers in my body.  This is a feat considering my history of false positives, and the false positives are why I tend to be leery of PET scan results.  Huzzah for preventing cancer dispersal!

3)  The PET scan showed that, "The previously noted innumerable pulmonary nodules have all decreased in size when compared with prior study."  That is the only sentence on the report that comments on my lungs.  I would tentatively expand on that sentence and by saying that the innumerable pulmonary nodules were gone.  I could see them on the previous scan, but on this one I couldn't see them at all.  I could see the handful of tiny pulmonary nodules that have been noted on my scans for years, but the "innumerable" spider-webby-everywhere nodules were gone.  This scan is being sent to Dr. Pulmonary Oncologist to get his opinion.  Huzzah for yellow paintbrushes!

4)  The right breast and lymph nodes showed no increased metabolic activity.  Huzzah for killing the breast cancer!

5)  I still have a blood clot in my jugular.  Interesting.  Still nothing to do for it but continue taking a blood thinner and waiting for it to resolve.

6) A "Fat-containing periumbilical hernia [was] identified."  Ha!  Apparently this is a fat bubble behind my belly button.  I have an "inny" belly button, not an "outy", and can neither see nor feel this periumbilical hernia.  Needless to say I do not expect this new development to have any bearing on anything at all.  I hate PET scans!

After all of this glorious news I carried my blanket back to chemo room number 8, which happens to be my favorite chemo room, to receive today's dose of taxotere, herceptin, and pertuzumab (TH+P).  As I suspected, the results of the scan in no way changed my course of treatment.  But it's okay.  I'm on the home stretch!  I'll slog through the taxotere fog over the next 5-10 days, then I'll be back on my feet with only two more hard chemos in front of me.  I'm not expected to get severely neutropenic again, and therefore I am not expected to be hospitalized again.  Sayonara, FEC!! F-U, 5-FU!

I'm hoeing a row that has been recently tilled.  We've got this, no problem.

But I am rather tired.  Rather.  Tired.    

9 comments:

  1. Well this is just about the best post ever. Tax can suck it too (just kidding do your work taxi boo boo) I am simply elated to read this. Will be thinking of you during this next fog and be waiting on the other side with pork for ian and possibly a mohawk for you :)

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  2. Good good good...ALL good. I am SO I happy to hear your great news Heather!

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  3. Wonderful news. And you're wonderful for sharing with us.

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  4. Great news! But I have one question...Is the title a Frozen allusion?

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  5. I'm so glad! Rawther glad in fact. I positively love your good news!

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