Well it is official, Dr. Patel has pronounced me the picture of health and gave his congratulations for reaching two-years cancer free! The results of the CT Scan and blood tests were good - no evidence of cancer or even a suspicion of cancer. Furthermore, the BRAC 1 and 2 tests were negative - I do not have the inherited gene. Needless to say I've been doing the happy dance!
As if the appointment did not already have good news it got even better. Dr. Patel explained that each year I am cancer free gives me greater odds of beating cancer again if it should come back. I like hearing the odds are increasing in my favor.
This week I met for the first time with the HER2Sisterhood - a local group of women who also are HER2 positive. If you have been following this blog from the beginning you may remember that shortly after I found out that I was HER2 positive I wrote about this group of women and specifically mentioned one of the women, Germaine (May 1, 2006 "Never despair; but if you do, work on in despair"). Germaine was one of the original women in the clinical trials of Herceptin about ten or eleven years ago. Reading about Germaine gave me such hope and I have been carrying her around in my heart for two years. Imagine how I felt meeting Germaine this week - it was quite an honor to meet her and to tell her how much she meant to me. The group meets once a month for dinner and is joined monthly by the representative of the company that makes Herceptin - could it get any better?
It has been a good week, I hope it has been for you also.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Catching Up
I have not forgotten my blog - I frequently write posts in my mind however finding the time to physically write the post has been difficult since I started working again and with the addition of two family members in our home.
Happy two-year anniversary to me! The two-year dates are all around me - last week was the two-year mark of finding the tumor, in a couple of days it will be the anniversary of having the tumor removed, and a few days later I will celebrate the anniversary of the "big" surgery. Yahoo - two years!
Next week I see Dr. Patel and will receive results of the CT Scan and blood tests that I had today. I will also receive the results of the BRAC 1 and 2 tests that I had a few weeks ago. As far as the CT Scan results - I feel too good to be worried. As for the BRAC 1 and 2 genes - well who knows? If I am positive then it is just another phase of treatment for me - a big inconvenience but one that I can get through. However, if I am positive we will all be concerned for my daughter until she is tested. I think that I probably will not be positive - from what I have read few women are. I will write a post as soon as I know the test results.
I changed the blog layout tonight and lost the links and widgets - oops, rats, and oh well! I have copies of the blog so hopefully I can reconstruct what was lost.
I feel like I have completely recovered from the treatment for cancer - my energy is good; I rarely have a "chemo-brain" incident; and my hair is finally growing in straight. Sometimes I even go days without remembering that I once had cancer. It is amazing at how accustomed I have become to having a port in my chest and the loss of a breast - it is my new different but yet normal body. I am completely blessed to be loved by a man who also believes that it is my new different but yet normal body.
Speaking of blessings - I continue to count my blessings every day and therefore I rejoice in each and every day that I have. To quote David, "my cup runneth over".
I am going to close with something borrowed from my friend Donna, "Be blessed for you are a blessing to me."
Happy two-year anniversary to me! The two-year dates are all around me - last week was the two-year mark of finding the tumor, in a couple of days it will be the anniversary of having the tumor removed, and a few days later I will celebrate the anniversary of the "big" surgery. Yahoo - two years!
Next week I see Dr. Patel and will receive results of the CT Scan and blood tests that I had today. I will also receive the results of the BRAC 1 and 2 tests that I had a few weeks ago. As far as the CT Scan results - I feel too good to be worried. As for the BRAC 1 and 2 genes - well who knows? If I am positive then it is just another phase of treatment for me - a big inconvenience but one that I can get through. However, if I am positive we will all be concerned for my daughter until she is tested. I think that I probably will not be positive - from what I have read few women are. I will write a post as soon as I know the test results.
I changed the blog layout tonight and lost the links and widgets - oops, rats, and oh well! I have copies of the blog so hopefully I can reconstruct what was lost.
I feel like I have completely recovered from the treatment for cancer - my energy is good; I rarely have a "chemo-brain" incident; and my hair is finally growing in straight. Sometimes I even go days without remembering that I once had cancer. It is amazing at how accustomed I have become to having a port in my chest and the loss of a breast - it is my new different but yet normal body. I am completely blessed to be loved by a man who also believes that it is my new different but yet normal body.
Speaking of blessings - I continue to count my blessings every day and therefore I rejoice in each and every day that I have. To quote David, "my cup runneth over".
I am going to close with something borrowed from my friend Donna, "Be blessed for you are a blessing to me."
Sunday, March 02, 2008
March 2008
I have reached the point where cancer is no longer in my daily thoughts. I feel great and I think that I look healthy. My hair is longer and finally I can blow dry it straight, in fact I think it is time to replace the picture in the About Me section. What a great feeling ... that is the best words I can come up with right now.
On the 15th it will be two years since I discovered the tumor.
On the 15th it will be two years since I discovered the tumor.
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