Thank you, all of you for your continued prayers, support and love!
Now for the long version update…
The results of the blood test, CT scan and chest x-ray yielded good news - it appears there has been no spread and the cancerous nodules spotted before have been taken care of. While the first radiologist examining October's CT scan had come up with clear results (thank God the blood test was such a sensitive indicator of what was actually going on), we found out today that he had completely missed some cancerous nodules and incorrectly identified others as scar tissue from my surgery in September. Thankfully the radiologist from today noticed a lot of the things the first one had missed. I guess hindsight is 20/20 though. There are some residual scars from the shrunken and dead tumours which Dr. Tinker expects will slowly be cleared away by the body.
Finally, a passage from my devotions this morning (before the appointment with Dr. Tinker) which helped quiet my soul. God is so good:
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. (Psalms 40:1-5 NLT)
The results of the blood test, CT scan and chest x-ray yielded good news - it appears there has been no spread and the cancerous nodules spotted before have been taken care of. While the first radiologist examining October's CT scan had come up with clear results (thank God the blood test was such a sensitive indicator of what was actually going on), we found out today that he had completely missed some cancerous nodules and incorrectly identified others as scar tissue from my surgery in September. Thankfully the radiologist from today noticed a lot of the things the first one had missed. I guess hindsight is 20/20 though. There are some residual scars from the shrunken and dead tumours which Dr. Tinker expects will slowly be cleared away by the body.
One point of concern that I am trying my best not to worry about: I may still need another surgery. Over the last 2-3 years, ultrasounds had shown a 2 cm teratoma in my right ovary (the one I still have left) which had remained stable in size, leading Dr. Roberts to identify it as benign. And having removed my left ovary, Dr. Roberts was concerned that if he tried to remove the teratoma in the right ovary, he would irreparably damage my one remaining ovary. As the ovarian cancer started with a teratoma in the left ovary which mutated into a malignant tumour, Dr. Tinker is concerned we could have a repeat case of ovarian cancer if we don't surgically remove the teratoma in the right ovary as well. We will need to meet with the surgeons at BC Cancer Agency to go over the risks and options. There is a possibility we can just monitor the ovary via ultrasounds, which is what I'm hoping for as my body needs a break.
Recurrence is highest in the first two years, therefore monitoring will consist of blood tests every 3 months and another 1-2 CT scans for the first year, and slightly less intense monitoring for the second year. After that, the blood tests and CT scans will be less frequent.
Numb and swollen fingers make brushing teeth, opening jars and anything requiring dexterity a bit difficult. Other residual side effects include discoloured skin (the back of my head looks ridiculously speckled). The creaky, sore, achey joints belonging to an 80-year-old, along with the less frequent hot flashes are due to the temporary menopausal symptoms. Ideally within a few months, my ovary will recover and the hormones can get things back to normal.
And, fine little baby hairs are starting to sprout on my head again :) Not enough to see in a picture, but noticeable in person. Yay!!
Now that we know we can go to Hawaii for sure, I'm finally allowing myself to get more excited about it! Little Mr. N has been excited about it for weeks and had already started packing for it the last few days. What does a 6-year-old consider essential for Hawaii?
Picking N up from school today, I told him that the medicine had worked and made the cancer go away. His first question - "Will your hair start to grow back now? It's been so long since I've seen your hair!"
Recurrence is highest in the first two years, therefore monitoring will consist of blood tests every 3 months and another 1-2 CT scans for the first year, and slightly less intense monitoring for the second year. After that, the blood tests and CT scans will be less frequent.
Numb and swollen fingers make brushing teeth, opening jars and anything requiring dexterity a bit difficult. Other residual side effects include discoloured skin (the back of my head looks ridiculously speckled). The creaky, sore, achey joints belonging to an 80-year-old, along with the less frequent hot flashes are due to the temporary menopausal symptoms. Ideally within a few months, my ovary will recover and the hormones can get things back to normal.
And, fine little baby hairs are starting to sprout on my head again :) Not enough to see in a picture, but noticeable in person. Yay!!
Now that we know we can go to Hawaii for sure, I'm finally allowing myself to get more excited about it! Little Mr. N has been excited about it for weeks and had already started packing for it the last few days. What does a 6-year-old consider essential for Hawaii?
- his portable Battleship game
- Shoo (his stuffed monkey)
- an assortment of Lego minifigs
- a fleece hoodie from his uncle
Picking N up from school today, I told him that the medicine had worked and made the cancer go away. His first question - "Will your hair start to grow back now? It's been so long since I've seen your hair!"
Finally, a passage from my devotions this morning (before the appointment with Dr. Tinker) which helped quiet my soul. God is so good:
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. (Psalms 40:1-5 NLT)
We celebrate with you the results of your tests and pray for continued healing. We do wish there was room in your bags for us!!!;; Sounds like Nolan has the priorities right for Hawaii. Enjoy and rest and have fun
ReplyDeleteLove and hugs Rick and Peggy