January 6, 2024. On December 20 Steve and I had a remarkably good meeting with Rugo. She was as happy as we were with the CT scan results. As I mentioned in my last post, there were no new or enlarging nodules. It was especially noteworthy given my last infusion was on November 8. Dr. Rugo scheduled a follow up CT (chest only) on January 24, followed by a consultation with her on January 31 to discuss the results and determine next steps. That means I’m off any treatments until sometime in February at the earliest. It was the first time since December 2018 that we all walked away from an oncology appointment smiling…even Rugo. We all agreed it was a pretty great way to start the holidays health-wise.
I’m still experiencing some fatigue and the annoying runny nose. But the heartburn-like symptoms from the radiation have disappeared. So different than a year ago when the oral chemo was not working, the tumor near my collarbone and the nodules in my lungs were growing and my tumor marker numbers were at an all time high. It felt like I was running out of options until I was accepted into the research study. Thanks to those treatments the nodules in my left lung and the tumor are undetectable. And for that, I am deeply, deeply grateful. I don’t know why the nodules in my right lung are so stubborn. But right now they are behaving, and perhaps the focal radiation will take care of the two biggest ones. So I believe my decision to leave the study was the right choice. It certainly made for a much sweeter Christmas than that of 2022.
On New Year’s Eve we went to our dear friends and nearby neighbor’s house for a mid-afternoon party. The view from their back deck is incredible. As the afternoon turned into evening our small gathering of close friends witnessed what felt like an endless and breathtaking sunset. It was genuinely magical, made even more so through our shared experience with all of us “ooing” and “ahhing” as the sky grew more amazing with each passing moment. Who needs fireworks. The universe does provide.
I hope the year ahead is filled with magical moments that stop me in my tracks like that sunset did, reminding me to be grateful. You don’t need to be dealing with a life-threatening illness to appreciate those times when they happen. But it did make me wonder how many there might be left. I’m not being morbid or negative. Instead it’s a reminder to not let these occasions slip by without acknowledging how precious they and the people who share them are to me.
May 2024 shine brightly on you all!
Stir the eggnog, lift the toddy, Happy New Year, everybody. — Phyllis McGinley
lana has cancer 