Good News!

I woke up to an e-mail this morning notifying me that my online chart had been updated. I didn't breathe for a minute while I scanned through my PET scan report, but all that mattered was this at the end: Essentially negative PET study without evidence of FDG (I have no idea what that means) avid malignancy or metastasis. Compared to the prior PET/CT scan of June 24, 2016, this indicates a favorable response to therapy..."

Yay! While this was certainly the outcome I was expecting and hoping for post-chemo and post-surgery, if I've learned one thing it's that you can't count on anything and cancer throws you curveballs when you least expect it. SO, we know that there is no macroscopic evidence of cancer anywhere in my body at this moment. It is a wonderful feeling. Or will be when I hear those words come out of my doctor's mouth, hopefully at my Herceptin appointment next week.

Despite pain meds and utter exhaustion I didn't sleep well last night. James was up a few times so maybe that's why (it certainly had Daniel up as he is tending to her and letting me sleep). She seemed fine today and went to daycare, but had a bit of a cough and a fever at bedtime tonight. So, hopefully she will sleep soundly (for everyone's sake) and come out of it tomorrow. I'm still not supposed to be doing much and Daniel's got a lot of work to do, so hopefully she'll be content to snuggle and play and watch some movies Saturday. 

I am a bit more sore from surgery today than I was yesterday (I'll include a snap Daniel took yesterday before they took me away -- before any anesthesia, believe it or not), but doing fine. Probably not relaxing quite as much as I should but that's nothing new. The incisions are covered by a flesh-colored surgical tape at the moment, so I can't see anything, but it is nice to not be tending to that awful scab and whatnot anymore. Too bad I just bought a ton of peroxide and bandages the day before they told me I was having it removed. 

I did the radiation simulation today. I watched a video about how it works and what expected side effects are. In addition to all of the side effects I listed before, apparently radiation can/does make your white blood cell count go down. Nothing like chemo, apparently, but still a concern. They really drove the point home that I will be tired and within a few weeks of starting I'll burn and probably start peeling. Hopefully that's the worst of it. 

For the simulation/staging, I laid down on what looked like a garbage bag sitting on top of a CT scan machine. It was filled with some kind of warm, chemical compound that expanded then hardened around my upper body, creating a shell or, as they call it, a cradle. This will be used every time I come to radiation so my body is in the exact same position every day. I went through the machine, once breathing normally and once holding my breath and using a snorkel type of breathing tube and clipping my nose shut. They may use this to have me hold my breath, 20 seconds at a time, so they can target certain areas of my chest wall but hopefully avoid my lungs. Just days after learning of a woman's lung issues post-radiation at a Gilda's Club meeting, I'm all for avoiding my lungs. I got two new tattoos! On each side of my abdomen so they can line up the machine perfectly. An extremely surreal experience, laying (topless, which no longer phases me) on a machine as 10 people swirl around me, taping wires to me, measuring with rulers, tattooing me, marking me with markers, adjusting my position, giving me instructions, and discussing things amongst themselves I could only hope to understand. 

Next they'll call me in about two weeks to come in for verification of the simulation -- make sure they planned and did all of their measurements correctly and that we're all set. Then I start after that. I feel like MAYBE there's one more appointment in there, but I had a lot of information thrown at me today (and, remember, painkillers) so I didn't quite retain all of it. I'll come in every day, Monday through Friday, for six weeks. Apparently there's a possibility of a few more appointments after that target specific areas, but I think that's more for people who had lumpectomies vs. a double mastectomy. I'll be in and out in about a half hour each time, roughly half of that on the table. I'll have the same machine and the same technicians each time, which will be nice. 

That's about it! Next week I hope to still be taking it easy during the first half of the week and just have my post-op appointment, my regular Herceptin infusion and an acupuncture appointment toward the end of the week. James might go to my mom's for the weekend (I understand all of Ionia is apparently missing her horribly) and if so perhaps I'll try to see some of my gals around town for brunch or something (you're on standby, girls).  

Daniel has kept the fire going for me the last two days -- time to sit by it and relax a bit before bed. Have a good weekend everyone!