Cancer Free!

Woo-hoo! I had my last chemotherapy treatment on January 11, 2011. On January 25, 2011, I had a CAT scan that didn't detect any tumors. Yippee!

I still have to have that confirmed by my oncologist when I go in for my next appointment, but I feel hopeful, to say the least.

A little bit about CAT scans. Number one, the barium drink that I got was in the form of a fruit smoothie. It didn't taste half bad. Actually, I had to drink two. The first one I had to drink slowly, over the course of an hour. The other one I could drink more quickly as long as I didn't gulp down in seconds. As if. They didn't taste that good. The barium drink was part one.

Part two came when I actually got to the hospital for my CAT scan. After the first round of scans, I was injected with a dye that made me feel hot all over. Fortunately, I wasn't having a hot flash when this happened. Imagine holding on to a steaming cup of tea while someone lights a match under hand, just close enough for you to feel the heat of the flame. That's what it would have been like to have a hot flash while the heat of that dye coursed through my body.

Anyway, what I dislike about CAT scans is that little tube that I get shuttled back and forth through. I don't actually suffer from claustrophobia, but I always feel a little panicky.

Once the chemotherapy drugs have completely exited my system, it will be time to start Avastin treatments. Basically, Avastin is a drug that stunts the growth of cancer cells. So, if any microscopic cells remain, the Avastin will prevent them from growing and spreading as quickly as they might otherwise. Once a month for twelve months, I will have to go in and get juiced again. Avastin doesn't have the same kind of side effects as chemotherapy drugs, so at least I will be able to lead a normal, active life again without feeling fatigued just from going shopping.

The fear that the cancer will return someplace else in my body remains in the back of mind always. On the surface, I pretend it's gone for good. It's the only way I can get through each day without panicking over every little body ache or upset stomach.