A Good Day

So I had my PET scan done on Wednesday.  It was not painful it was just a long process.  I couldn't eat or drink anything for 6 hours prior to the scan and my scan was that afternoon so I ate a big breakfast and then was hungry for the rest of the day.  I had to drink a contrast drink.  I chose to drink what they offered there and it was lemonade and it tasted really good especially since I had nothing to drink all day.  They had to give me an IV and give me a shot of glucose with a radioactive tracer in it.  The tracer would go to any area where there was active cancer cells.  I had to sit in a dimly lit room for an hour and then I got the scan which took about 20 minutes.   Sitting in the dimly lit room was not too bad.  It gave me some quiet time to spend in prayer which I really needed.  The only problem was the contrast drink had caught up with me and I had to ask for a short break which I got and then came back to spend a few more minutes of quiet time before the scan.  I managed to stay still for the scan which wasn't fun but I managed.

I got to go to see Dr. Raefsky today to get the results.  He came in and first thing he told me that the scan was clear!  Words cannot express how relieved I felt.  I had been so nervous for a week since he called me the first time.  I knew that God had a plan for me but I didn't know what that plan was and I just had to have faith in Him.

Dr. Raefsky still was not sure exactly what he saw on the CT scan.  His thought was that maybe I had a few cancer cells in my spine that were too small for the bone scan that I had this summer to pick up.  The aggressive chemo that I went through took cancer cells and now my bones are healing.  I liken it to have scar tissue on my spine.

I asked for prayers for the results of this scan and I got prayers. Prayers were lifted up on my behalf  literally all over the world.  The missionaries that the Maple Hill church supports were praying for me, my friends were praying, the elders were praying and the church was praying.  God answers those prayers.  It has been a tough year that I wish that I did not have to go through but that was God's plan for me.  I have learned so much.  Things that I have known for a long time but I needed a refresher course.  I know the power of prayers but  I needed to see God's work more clearly.  I know that I can put my trust in God but I needed to learn to let go more and let God handle my problems.  I needed to know that God has a plan for me.

Thank you everyone who prayed for me.  Please keep praying and pray for everyone else who is battling cancer because every prayer helps.

Scan Results

First, I must say that I have been feeling great.  I didn't realize how tiring the chemo was because now that I have not had chemo in three weeks, I have had more energy, my taste has come back and my skin is clearing up.  I am so happy to be over chemo.  Second, I have scheduled my reconstruction surgery and I will have that done on March 19!

I had my CT scan this past Tuesday.  I learned a valuable lesson, don't ever drink the contrast drink that is offered at the doctor's office but drink the contrast drink that they offer at the imaging office.  It tastes like orange Tang and there is a lot less to drink then the other contrast drink.

The good news about the CT scan was that the place on my liver had not changed so my doctor was confident that it was a harmless cyst and nothing to worry about.  The bad news was that he saw something on my spine that he doesn't understand.  He couldn't tell me much about what he saw.  I had had a bone scan done this past summer and it was clean.  I have had 16 rounds of chemo so no cancer should have grown there.  He is concerned so he has ordered a PET scan.  I will have that done next Wednesday and then I go see him about the result on Thursday.

I will admit that I am a little upset.  I have been feeling so good and then I get this call and I now I feel like the wind was knock out of my sails (sorry for the cliche but that is how I feel)  Now I have to wait and how I hate waiting.  Waiting just makes me think and when I start thinking, I think of the worse sometimes.  So please keep me in your prayers that this is nothing and I can continue feeling good.