Relief

By 51, it feels like most of us have been down this cancer journey with friends or family.  And after the initial diagnosis comes the moment where you “hold your breath” and have to wait for MRI results to make sure the cancer is localized (that is, just in the spot where initially found).  In this case, I was waiting on my own behalf, not on behalf of someone else, which is turns is a little more stressful!  Although no other tests or exams had offered any indication that it had spread, I still felt like I was holding my breath until I got the MRI results back.

Also, that whole process was a moment that I was glad to be living where I was (and that I had cancelled some previously scheduled travel.)  I got a call at 3:00 pm that a spot had opened up for a 5:10 appointment.  Living 30 minutes from the hospital made that entirely doable.  And moved up that process by two weeks!

And the results are back.  As the title might indicate, it is good news.  There is only the one spot with the cancer.  And I did feel an immediate sense of relief.   Also, my genetic testing also is back and shows no genetic markers.  (As I kept telling doctors “we are really more of a stroke and heart attack” family, so I wasn’t terribly surprised.  But that is also gets to be good news.)

We still don’t have the entire treatment plan spelled out.  While generally we know what treatments need to happen (see earlier post), there is some conversation to have about the “order of operations”, so to speak.  So more time being an impatient patient while I meet with more doctors.