I've had lots of scans and I have received lots of scan results.
Only two of those results have been bad news. The first ultrasound, which told me I had multiple heterogenous masses - not good - and the first MRI which confirmed they were metastases.
After that, every scan result was positive.
The first full-body CT told me that I had bowel cancer, not pancreatic/ovarian/oesophageal/bad bad bad cancer, and I had no metastases anywhere else.
The next CT/MRI combo showed that I had responded well to the chemo.
The PET scan after my SIRT showed that my liver disease was now about a fifth of what it had been.
The scan after my bowel resection showed that I no longer had any cancer in my bowel, and still just the same few bits in my liver.
The MRI ten days after my liver resection showed that the liver had already started regenerating and giving me pristine clean cancer-free livery bits.
The scan after my next chemo showed just the last, stubborn, calcified, probable-cancer.
The scans I had ten days ago showed the same little probable-cancer bit, but all fuzzy from the stereotactic radiotherapy, and realistically downgraded to possible-cancer, or maybe even zapped-out-of-its-box-cancer.
No new disease, no metastases anywhere else, nothing untoward at all really. Just my last little remnant that could be dead, could be half-breathing. It is quietly lying there, either about to expire or about to make one last gasp attempt to make a name for itself.
(I don't think it has it in it. I think it's a goner).
So I have decided that this result, out of all of them, is the Good News one. This is the one that merited the bottle of fizz. (And wine. And beer. Ouch my head).
What does it really mean?
It means that right here, right now, I am as close to cancer-free as I have been in thirty months.
It means that for the moment, there is no active plan for more chemotherapy or radiotherapy or immunotherapy or let's-chance-this-it-might-work-(if it doesn't kill her first)-therapy.
I can tootle off about my business, all like "Who? Me? Cancer?" for a while.
Yay!!
Tears of joy for living in the NOW!
ReplyDeleteGreat news Sarah! It is about time we had some - now you just need to work on your book deal!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great read Sarah.
ReplyDeleteThis makes up for Brexit and Trump
ReplyDeleteFab news , Sarah!
ReplyDeleteHow can I be so happy for someone I've never met?! :-)
ReplyDeleteJust read this Sarah- has completely resurrected my Monday..well-done and congrats.
ReplyDeleteGreat News Safia.... with all the bad things happening around us right now a bit of Great news is welcoming...
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Sarah... Thrilled for you.Looking forward to celebrating with you at the doctors disco!
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone for the kind comments, you are all lovely!
ReplyDeleteYou're an inspiration
ReplyDeleteJust met a very similar patient this am doing well too
Enjoy your break from hospitals etc