Delayed reaction

Um, oops?

I had my follow-up appointment with my oncologist on the 8th and while I totally tweeted about it, I completely failed to update my loyal blog readers!!

Mike took the day off to go with me, which was much appreciated, for even though I figured it was going to be good news about the last MRI, I still was worried (because, well, duh, CANCER?)

First I had to get my blood drawn. There’s a specific blood drawing place in the cancer center, and man, were they pros!  It took longer for me to walk back and sit down than it did for her to draw my blood!  Want to see what it looked like??

Isn’t she a great artist??

SNICKER

Anyway, after they took my blood we had an hour to kill before my appointment with Dr. L, so we wandered to the hospital cafeteria to grab a quick lunch.

10 minutes later we wondered what to do for the next 50 minutes. hehe.

We sat in the waiting room, playing on our iPhones and watching a lady change the channel on the television…push button, watch for a few seconds, push button, watch for a few seconds… repeat 50 times only to end up on a financial program infomercial.  The best part? She and her husband got called back within 2 minutes of all of her troubles finding the right show!

While we were sitting there, we heard a woman talking on her phone to a relative, trying to get medical information for her husband.  Apparently, he had been just diagnosed with a rare cancer, and they had flown in to U of M to see someone familiar with it.  They weren’t very old, maybe slightly older than us, and I felt myself tear up because I totally remember those first few visits where everything was up in the air and the unknowns and the fear.  She told the relative about their family website, and I have to admit that I totally looked it up right then and there.  Anyway, we were called back before they finished the phone call, but I sure hope things turn out alright for them.  Having cancer sucks bad enough as it is; having a one in a million chance of getting some crazy rare cancer must suck even worse.

Anyway, Dr. L came in pretty quick this time (last time he was way behind), and assured us that my MRI results were perfectly fine!! YAY!!  He also did a skin check, referred me to the skin cancer specializing dermatologist for a visit in 3 months, told us what to keep an eye out for, said we should stay in touch and that was that.

Clear.

Clean.

Cancer free.

It felt great to hear that.  Really great.

We celebrated by going Christmas shopping in the middle of the day. hehe

I called my dad…he was overjoyed.  He actually had his 1 year follow up the same day for his prostate cancer check – he was given the all clear and goes back in 6 months.  Good news!!

Mike called his mom and she was totally relieved.

I called my mom (Hi Mom! I know you said you weren’t reading anymore, but just in case, HI!!) and she was…well….happy, but tentative. See, the thing is, my mom wants guarantees.  She wants to know FOR SURE that the cancer is 100% gone, and if it’s not she wants them to be able to do SOMETHING about it.  No amount of explaining that there is now way to know 100% anything, and that there are no other treatments or tricks, aside from being very aware, will keep her from worrying about her little girl.  As a mom, I truly get it, I do.  BUT, the thing is this: if the cancer comes back, it comes back.  I’m watching, I know what to look for, I have a great medical team and amazing support.  If it comes back…well, that’s just the way it goes, you know?

In the meantime, I’m going to keep doing my PT at home, wear my stocking, stock up on sunscreen and live my life.

Tagged as: appointments, cancer, melanoma, MRI