According to my oncologist, there are no more tests to do--no more tracking, checking or looking. I now move into a 5-10 year phase of adjuvent (word-of-the-day!) hormone therapy. Why, you may ask, do they do follow up treatment if the surgery showed that the cancer had not spread? Well, I guess there is a teeny tiny chance that some cells may have slipped by undetected, so they use chemo and hormone therapy just in case. I have been having long chats with my cells, and feel confident that any that do no belong have been "re-purposed" for use elsewhere in the galaxy. But I will take my pills, say my daily gratitude, and think happy thoughts for the next 40+ years just to make sure. At some point early in the New Year I also have a follow up MRI on my spongy skull just to get an ultimate confirmation the the problem they saw there last fall is Padget's Disease.
The last steps in the process are reconstruction-related. I'm scheduled for surgery February 4th, which oddly, is the 20th anniversary of my first date with John. (Do you think he would have asked for a second date if I'd said, "How would you like to spend the day 20 years from now in the hospital waiting room?") Though I don't really relish another surgery, I will be happy to get this one under my belt as the "stunt boobs" (the saline-filled expanders that were put in post-mastectory) are not all that comfortable and I miss the luxury of long nights of uninterrupted slumber...
I want to take a moment to say a very special "thank you" to the love of my life, my knight in shining armor, and the number-one nurse on the planet, my Johnny. He always treats me like a queen, so I honestly couldn't imagine him being any more supportive, but he really shouldered the burden of keeping the household running, me fed, the dog walked, countless doctors' appointments attended to, and one or two (or many) spontaneous Ben-and-Jerry's runs. He's due a little pampering, so that is my plan for the New Year. OH! And he's even growing proxy-hair while mine is missing! He's turning into quite a shaggy hippy... his hair must be nearly an inch long now!!!!
So now imagine me standing at the podium with my golden Free-and-Clear award/statuette in my hands thanking each and every one of you personally, by name. And then imagine me giving you a big old hug. And then imagine that I'll be doing that soon in real life, because that is the plan. Every day of this journey has been buoyed up by the support of family, friends, and their friends... and most specifically, YOU!
At this point I don't think there is a need to post here any longer, so I think I'll let this blog reach its timely end. I am, however, starting up a new blog about our soon-to-commence home building adventure (see The Lone Oak Project at: http://loneoakproject.blogspot.com), so check it out from time to time and see the fun unfold.
Until I see you next, know that I love and appreciate you, and wish good health for you and yours for all your years on Earth.
oxoxoxox
