PET Scan Results

After a particularly terrible week, I turned the Covid corner well enough to get a PET scan this morning. It's basically like lying on the tongue of a very large mouth that slurps you in and out while collecting photos of your innards.

Liz and I enjoyed our first outing in far too long to review the results with the oncologist this afternoon.

Drum roll...

MY CANCER IS GONE!

No evidence of active cancer cells, and lymph nodes are all back to normal. Chemo worked.

HOORAY!

I will still have to do 3 weeks of daily radiation on the small leftover scar tissue mass in my chest. Hopefully we can start that in a couple of weeks.

The bad news is that I have pneumonia as a friendly reminder of the horrors of Covid. They gave me strong meds, hopefully I will someday be able to sleep lying down.

Overall...blessed news today. If I had enough energy to smile and lung capacity to laugh, I'd be partying hard right now.

Now will someone create a vaccine to get rid of Liz's stupid cancer for good? #goscience

Of Cancer and Covid

Eli informed us that a new Godzilla vs. Kong movie will be out next week. Big monsters, epic battles to determine which is badder than the other. That's what it feels like here right now.

 

Cancer vs. Covid.

 

Liz and I have both.

 

Not cool.

 

We were so careful for so long. And right when we were waiting to get our second vaccine doses, the Corona monster crashed through our home.

 

Liz and I got our first vaccine doses on 3/8. Cohen had chills, sniffles, and exhaustion a few days prior, but he’s been working hard at school and track, so we thought nothing of it. He got over it the next day and he’s been fine since. I got the same symptoms a few days later, Liz followed soon after, and by the time we realized what was happening, we were into Spring Break last week.

 

Ironically, the TN Dept of Health contact tracers just let us all know that our quarantine periods ended days ago and that we shouldn't be contagious. But now we are learning about the wide variety of oncology office Covid-19 protocols.

 

I won’t be able to reschedule the PET scan until at least 3/30 (assuming we get insurance to agree to pay for it). The radiation therapy assessment appointment got pushed out to 4/1.

 

And the big one: Liz’s treatment is cancelled for today, with a 20-day waiting period before she can get treatment again. So…she’s going to have to skip a full treatment cycle and pick it up again in 3 weeks.

How will all of these delays affect her and me? Who knows.

 

We are powering through. The kids are doing great. And once again, we are so grateful for the generosity and kindness shown by truly giving people.

 

Can 2020 be over yet?

Last Chemo Today

At the end of October while coaching Cohen's last flag football game of the season, I knew that I had cancer. We hadn't publicly announced it yet, and it was difficult to keep my emotions in check. What would happen to me, to the kids, to our family? And heck, how could I hide the ginormous neck I was sporting from the enlarged lymph nodes?

Some have mentioned how it feels like it's gone by quickly. It's felt like an eternity here. Just ask Liz.

Well, after 6 chemo sessions for me (and as Liz completed her 140th chemo!), I spent my last 7-hour day in the cancer center infusion chair today.

I snored.

Sorry not sorry.

So at the end of March I'll get a PET scan to see if any of the cancer is still active, and how much. But based on the last CT scan, the lymph nodes all look normal! There is a tumor mass behind my chest that has dramatically reduced in size (from an apple to a quarter), and it will likely stay there as scar tissue. So we pray that the PET scan will show that everything is inactive and there's no evidence of disease. I might need to have targeted radiation on the mass just to kill it for good. Will know late next month.

In the meantime...thank you to those who didn't disappear.

We have appreciated you checking in and helping care for us and the kids. The packages and gifts for the boys have just been perfect. The show recommendations and subreddit shares bring smiles and gleefully mind-numbing entertaining. The cards and texts matter. Liz's tribe has surrounded her with love and support. I've enjoyed my cousin's posts on my facebook page (every. day.) with a new, pleasant family history photo...who knew we did so much camping and so many Christmas pageants as kids?

And thanks to everyone for the prayers and positive energy. Hope they keep paying off!

Go team.

My feelings, in Richard Simmons Chia form

Last chemo session

Liz's family sign we see each day