All Clear

August 27, 2002|

All Clear

It was a tense week. I used the extra nervous energy to my advantage. In an absolutely incredible breakthrough I conquered the formerly unconquerable hill in Prospect Park on roller blades, without stopping. It was like climbing Mt. Everest. The air was thin and my mind was clouded. Billy goats and sherpas climbed around me. I almost blacked out. I almost stopped. I didn’t. I conquered the hill.

But things were still tense.

I was so anxious on Monday night at Starbucks that I couldn’t do my normal reading or writing. My mind was racing around an endless track at unbearable speeds. I needed to find a worthy distraction.

I shoved my shoulderbag in the car and sped to Coney Island. After a few rounds in the batting cages and in the video arcade I was able to breathe easier. And the cheese fries from Nathan’s, those helped too. Tuesday was the big day.

I was expecting the worse. Like a post-it note slapped on my forehead, a nagging pain in my lungs and along my spine had become a constant reminder of my current situation. I thought, without hesitation, the note read “The cancer has returned.”

I snatched the papers off the desk in the examining room. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from Dr. Perales. I read the reports myself. “There is a normal physiologic pattern of radiotracer uptake and distribution seen throughout the remainder of various body tissues and organs with no evidence of FDG avid viable malignant tumor.” “No pelvic lymphadenopathy or ascites is seen.” “No enlarged mediastinal, hilar or axillary lymph nodes are seen…” Six months post-transplant and the scans are clear.

I am not out of the woods just yet. Yes, it is great news. I couldn’t be more pleased. But remission isn’t declared for another 6 months. That means two more rounds of PET and CT scans in November and February. I’ll breathe much easier then.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. I still have a few more hills to conquer. Only with the above will I be able to do so.

 

 

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