You know its a good sign when you get an excited hug from your administrative nurse! before the holidays i had another Gallium scan and another CT scan. Before heading east to enjoy egg nog in snowy surroundings we waited around the hospital eating sushi and fries in the cafeteria to walk away with all my scans on CDRs. I had no idea you could do this but the amazing gallium technician mentioned it to me over chit chat about Jan Arden’s blog and Rufus Wainwrights Judy Garland tribute. I simply walked up to medical imaging not even noticing the sign that read ‘get your CDRs here’ (or something to that effect) and they handed them to me half an hour later. We mulled over them through the christmas cheer but didn’t want to get too excited and weren’t exactly sure what we were looking at. On the 28th of December my oncologist and nurse led us into their office and showed us the computer screens. It was good news, hug worthy news. The mass in my chest is less than half the size it was and the Gallium is negative which means if there still is living cancer cells they are too few and far between to be picked up by the scan. the CT results lead to some options but all good. If by the time of the next scan the mass has continued to shrink with the chemo then they proceed for the full 6 months (three more months from now) and then the radiation, if it stays the same it means it is only scar tissue left and so they cut two months from the chemo treatment and go straight to radiation. If the mass is completely gone then they cut the last two months from the chemo and debate about the radiation. I proceeded to easily and lightly enjoy the following weeks knowing that everything is moving in the right direction, playing my new beautiful guitar and wearing my christmas slippers and socks and hats and mitts.
Happy and warm.