Still waiting to hear results. I did hear the results of the PET scan I had, and they weren't what we had been hoping. The chemo has shrunk the tumor by 80%, but this scan was pretty similar to the one taken before it. My doctor is pretty confident that radiation will take care of the remaining 20%. However, in the meantime, he wanted me to have a needle biopsy to see if the remaining 20% has any active cancer cells. If there are any active cancer cells then I may need to have more chemo (a different kind than I had before) and if there are no active cells, then I will just go on to radiation.
I just want to be done. I want this all over, lesson learned, go on with living my life without tests, scans, and doctor's appointments. I want my port taken out, I want to see my hair grow back in whatever color and texture it will be. I want to enjoy the warm weather of spring and summer without being inside hospital buildings.
I know this is just a bump in the road, something that I will get over just as I got over all the bumps before. And I continue to see how lucky I am, from the little side effects I had, the good prognosis, and the wonderful support I have received.
I'll keep you posted. I hope you're enjoying spring wherever you are.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
It Ain't Over 'Til...
Well, the fat lady isn't going to sing, but maybe the radiation doctor will. I am done with chemo, but I still need to have a PET scan in a week (because I can't get enough of that chalky crap) and from that they'll decide if I need radiation.
So, I am done. In a way.
People have been cheering for me and asking me how good it feels to be done. I have to say, it does feel good to be done with chemo. I am glad that we don't have our lives revolving around every-other Friday and various other days being scheduled. But the weird part about this whole being done thing is that I don't feel like I'm done. Because I have not experienced many side effects, I still feel like there's more. I think to myself, there's got to be more in order to feel some of the side effects they warned me about. Oh, I'm not complaining. I know I'm lucky. I'm just trying to put my finger on why I'm not more ecstatic to be done.
The other part of not being completely relieved is waiting for this scan and its results. My doctor seems to think that radiation will be recommended even if I have a small trace of cancer shown. I am hoping that I am clear and I won't have to have it, but if I'm not clear, they can go ahead and do it. In my mind, if there is a trace of cancer left, then I want that gone. Who's to say that the remaining cells aren't going to reunite and get the band back together?
In the meantime, I want to tell you about my last day of chemo. I think it went smoother than any other chemo day I've had. We went in for blood work, and the port worked like a charm. When I told the blood tech that it was my last chemo appointment, she said, "Oh, thank God. Thank Jesus." Then I was called right away to get in the chair for chemo. The port was still flowing and the medications were ready right away. I was in and out of there in record time. At the end, they gave me a certificate that said I was done. It was signed by all the nurses in the chemo rooms. I said to the nurses there, "Don't take it personally, but I hope I never see you again." They told me I could come to visit if I ever had an appointment in the Cancer Center. I don't know about that...
After chemo Stein and I went out to lunch. My mother-in-law Judi joined us, as well as our friends Johnny, Robert, and Tiffany. It was nice to celebrate being done. But the fun didn't stop there! That afternoon, my sister Mickey, brother-in-law Mike, niece Breanne, and nephew Nick came in from Indiana and surprised me. They wanted to celebrate the end of chemo, too! I was so excited and didn't feel as tired as I had on previous chemo days. We went out to dinner and celebrated. They stayed over in Ann Arbor, so the next morning we took a walk and went out for breakfast. They went home later that morning. It meant so much to have them take time off from their jobs and time out from their lives in order to see me. When I asked our nephew Nick if he had to take time off from his job, he said, "Yeah, I wouldn't miss this!" Thanks again, Zolfo family!
I almost forgot to give a shout out to our friend Patty who had business in Detroit the second-to-last chemo week. She sent me a text at the beginning of the week saying she was going to be in town and could extend her trip to sit with me at chemo. So the morning of chemo she came to our house and then came to the Cancer Center with us to sit with me during chemo. Little did she know, she was in for a long day! I was late getting called into chemo, my port was acting up so they needed to give me the anti-clot medication, and the chemo medications took a long time to come from the pharmacy. She was a trooper through it all. She even took me out to lunch. Thanks Patty!
Thank you to all who have continued to inquire about us and how things are going. I know its been a long haul, and you have stuck with us through this adventure. You all rock.
So that's where everything stands at this point. I'll keep y'all posted on developments as they come.
So, I am done. In a way.
People have been cheering for me and asking me how good it feels to be done. I have to say, it does feel good to be done with chemo. I am glad that we don't have our lives revolving around every-other Friday and various other days being scheduled. But the weird part about this whole being done thing is that I don't feel like I'm done. Because I have not experienced many side effects, I still feel like there's more. I think to myself, there's got to be more in order to feel some of the side effects they warned me about. Oh, I'm not complaining. I know I'm lucky. I'm just trying to put my finger on why I'm not more ecstatic to be done.
The other part of not being completely relieved is waiting for this scan and its results. My doctor seems to think that radiation will be recommended even if I have a small trace of cancer shown. I am hoping that I am clear and I won't have to have it, but if I'm not clear, they can go ahead and do it. In my mind, if there is a trace of cancer left, then I want that gone. Who's to say that the remaining cells aren't going to reunite and get the band back together?
In the meantime, I want to tell you about my last day of chemo. I think it went smoother than any other chemo day I've had. We went in for blood work, and the port worked like a charm. When I told the blood tech that it was my last chemo appointment, she said, "Oh, thank God. Thank Jesus." Then I was called right away to get in the chair for chemo. The port was still flowing and the medications were ready right away. I was in and out of there in record time. At the end, they gave me a certificate that said I was done. It was signed by all the nurses in the chemo rooms. I said to the nurses there, "Don't take it personally, but I hope I never see you again." They told me I could come to visit if I ever had an appointment in the Cancer Center. I don't know about that...
After chemo Stein and I went out to lunch. My mother-in-law Judi joined us, as well as our friends Johnny, Robert, and Tiffany. It was nice to celebrate being done. But the fun didn't stop there! That afternoon, my sister Mickey, brother-in-law Mike, niece Breanne, and nephew Nick came in from Indiana and surprised me. They wanted to celebrate the end of chemo, too! I was so excited and didn't feel as tired as I had on previous chemo days. We went out to dinner and celebrated. They stayed over in Ann Arbor, so the next morning we took a walk and went out for breakfast. They went home later that morning. It meant so much to have them take time off from their jobs and time out from their lives in order to see me. When I asked our nephew Nick if he had to take time off from his job, he said, "Yeah, I wouldn't miss this!" Thanks again, Zolfo family!
I almost forgot to give a shout out to our friend Patty who had business in Detroit the second-to-last chemo week. She sent me a text at the beginning of the week saying she was going to be in town and could extend her trip to sit with me at chemo. So the morning of chemo she came to our house and then came to the Cancer Center with us to sit with me during chemo. Little did she know, she was in for a long day! I was late getting called into chemo, my port was acting up so they needed to give me the anti-clot medication, and the chemo medications took a long time to come from the pharmacy. She was a trooper through it all. She even took me out to lunch. Thanks Patty!
Thank you to all who have continued to inquire about us and how things are going. I know its been a long haul, and you have stuck with us through this adventure. You all rock.
So that's where everything stands at this point. I'll keep y'all posted on developments as they come.
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