Exceeds Expectations

Since my CT scan last Friday I’ve been waiting as anxiously as a student anticipates state testing or SAT results in revealing their future. Our schools don’t give letter grades anymore, they use terms more suited to a performance review like “meets expectations” or “exceeds expectations”. If Judy were to give my CT scan results a grade, it would be a solid B.

My oncologist is encouraged, maybe even a bit surprised.  The radiologist’s report of my scan is two dense pages of medical jargon but the most significant sentence to me was “No further evidence of metastatic disease within the chest, abdomen or pelvis.”    Basically, the primary tumor hasn’t grown any and the cancer hasn’t spread.  Doc told us when we started chemo that a result like this would be a win and this first scan is the most significant.  So, Mark 1, cancer 0 for this round. They did detect some spots in my spine which doc said were probably cancer before we started chemo but not visible on the first CT scan.  Now that the chemo has attacked the cancer, the bone is recovering which shows up on the scan.  He said it’s not a big deal, I have to go with his assessment.  The current plan is to continue with the same chemo regimen I’m currently on, same cocktail of drugs, once every two weeks and I got cycle 7 today.

I’ve said since day 0 that prayer and chemo will be what heals me.  A most excellent care giver, positive outlook, diet and maybe that magic water are helping too.  I could probably make a case that there are hundreds of people praying for me. While I doubt God treats prayers as a “Like” button, it boosts me to know people care about me and have been praying for the news we got today. Then again I know there are millions of cancer patients that were fervently prayed for whose story ended too soon. It’s all a mystery to me.

So today was a good day.  I got a paycheck today too but that’s another story.  On Father’s Day my brother-in-law Joe took me flying.  I’m flying even higher today.

Judy was able to take a deep breath and we both say,  Thank you God! and thanks to all of you too.