6 Month Follow Up Appointment

Good news from my 6 month follow up with the medical oncologist yesterday ... all blood work results are in normal range, so there are no indicators that any new cancer is developing. Of course it's not as easy as just getting a blood test to know that ... but they watch certain protein markers, and if they elevate, they would order up additional testing like a PET scan to see what is really going on. The Dr had previously warned me there are many false positives on the blood work and that if anything is off, it doesn't automatically mean the cancer is coming back, so we would not panic if something looked odd ... but honestly, I don't know how you would not be upset after being diagnosed once. I'm glad we didn't have to go through any of that this time.

I'll see her again in 6 months. At some point, as things continue to look normal on lab reports, they will release me to annual appointments. I'm happy to have another 6 month review. As far as I'm concerned, we can't check too frequently to make sure everything is right.

So now my focus and anxiety move from lab results to surgery! I'm just 8 days out. I'm not fearful of the procedures or the prospect of pain and discomfort, it's just the whole picture of recovery and not being able to do the things I normally do at home and at work. It will come together though. While I hate to wish away even one precious day, I'm kind of looking forward to it being early September and me being 4 weeks into recovery. I've mentioned it will be a tough recovery before. I'll be hospitalized 5 days, and because the tissue they are harvesting comes from my lower abdomen, it will be impossible at first, and difficult for awhile, to stand or sit fully upright.

Things will get done, and I'll get through recovery ... but the unknowns of the next few weeks make me anxious. I'm a planner, and I can't plan fully for that time. But somehow, it will all come together and the time will pass by, and I'll be on my feet again. Of that, I am sure!