On To Radiation Therapy!

Hello from 'the soon-to-be soaked by Hurricane Ike' area of Texas! Hopefully being so far inland will keep us from getting more than a lot of rain, some wind and a big storm. We'll keep you posted!

Well, I finally got the results back from my PET scan and it is good news! My lymph nodes are all back to their normal size and no signs of active cancer- hooray!
PET scans are amazing tools when it comes to detecting cancer. Want to learn more?
Check out this website:
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=PET&bhcp=1

Here is an example that I found online of the same kind of cancer- Hodgkin's Lymphoma- that I have. THESE ARE NOT MY PET SCANS, but mine look very similar!


These PET images are not mine (thanks to whoever posted them in their blog!) but I saw them online and thought it might be interesting to share them since I do not have copies of my results.


So now I move on to the radiation phase of treatment. I start next Monday and will go every day M-F for almost 5 weeks. I am eager to get started because the sooner I start- the sooner I finish! I am already feeling much more energetic and more 'normal' now that I am finished chemo. I am still slightly out of breath but I will be getting another lung function test to see if I have any lasting lung damage from the chemotherapy drugs. Usually any lung issues will resolve in about 6 mos or so. Keeping my fingers crossed that it is a temporary thing- but regardless- I am just thankful that the chemo did its job, being out of breath every now and then is a heck of a lot better than having no breath at all! :)

We are busy preparing for the hurricane. We have extra water and supplies and will be bringing in all our patio furniture and pool toys this evening in case we get a lot of wind. Hopefully the storm will not get too much stronger and will blow through quickly without doing a lot of damage.

**On a seperate note, my friend Joi's little girl Maggie is one week older than Wil and is waiting for a liver transplant from John Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. She is currently #2 on the transplant list. If everyone could please say a prayer for her and her family- it would be much appreciated. Here is Maggie's website if you would like to read more about her: http://www.cotaformaggies.com/ Thank you so much!

Today's Glass Half Full: "Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock." ~Author Unknown