Animals are OK, but I'd rather be PET-Negative

I’m PET-negative, and it’s true, I have no pets living in my house. The only non-human animals here are in my freezer. But being PET-negative is a very good thing besides nothing to walk or feed or clean up after.

Here is the latest news on my chemo treatment and progress. (I’m sending this blind copy to several friends and family.)

I saw the doctor yesterday (Jan. 5th) followed by the 5th chemo session. My last and 6th treatment is scheduled for Jan. 26. That’s right, the last one.

The very good news is that the PET-Scan I had last week revealed no cancer visible. Doctor called it PET-negative, and that result after the 4th treatment is a good sign for being cancer-free in the future. Unfortunately, the PET doesn’t show cells at the molecular level, that is why I still have to go through 6 chemo treatments. Originally he wanted me to undergo 8 treatments.

Also, the CAT-scan I had about 2 weeks ago, showed that the tumor I have in the lower abdomen toward the lower back, a mass of enlarged lymph nodes, sort of bundled together, have shrunk from 9.5 cm to 5.6 cm.

After that 6th chemo session, there will be follow up visits every three months sometimes following Cat-scans. The doctor wants to be prudent scheduling CAT-scans (getting bad rap in the news lately because of the high X-ray exposure). But it is a good tool for the looking at the tumor.

The other good news, is all the weight I lost is on again putting me back to my normal 105 pounds. I’m still hairless of course (I even lost nose hair and my eye lashes!) but I don’t look like Gandhi or a 92-pound stick anymore. All the Christmas goodies contributed.

Nurse told me yesterday it might take 6 months before my hair grows back. Yikes! I might have half an inch on top by July, oh my. And the doctor said the tingling fingertips (peripheral neuropathy or nerve damage) may never go away. These are the trade-offs for stopping the disease.

Presently I deal with the side effects and drug regimen to combat nausea, insomnia at night, intestinal woes (but maybe that’s more information than you want to know). I just have to cope with fatigue in the day, metal taste in the mouth, pains in my arms and legs and occasional shooting, jabbing pain on my left side also caused by nerve damage. But these things should go away after therapy is complete.

No one said this was going to be fun. But by the middle of February, by Valentines Day, I should be feeling pretty good again . . . except Paul will be away on a ski trip then. We’ll just have to make up for it and celebrate when he gets home.