Officially in Remission

It’s been about a month since my last chemotherapy treatment. The nausea and peripheral neuropathy (numbness in my hands and feet) are still lingering, but less severe with each passing day. My liver must be working overtime in an effort to purge the chemo’s toxicity from my system.

Last week was a good week.

On Tuesday, I had another PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography). This is the test where they have me drink a nasty-tasting canola oil concoction, inject me with radioactive sugar and an iodinated contrast material, and then place me on a table that slides back and forth while a donut-shaped tube takes digital images to determine changes in cellular activity (it’s not nearly as enjoyable as it sounds). This is the fourth PET scan that I’ve had in the past 6 months, so at this point I’ve learned to tolerate the procedure.

On Thursday I went to the Oncologist for lab work (medical lingo for blood tests) and the results of the PET Scan. The news was all good. My white blood counts were significantly improved, a by-product of a recovering immune system. More importantly, the PET Scan confirmed that the chemotherapy has done its job and there are no further signs of the disease.

Going into this whole ordeal, I was assured that this specific regimen of chemotherapy boasts a 90% success rate in treating Stage II Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. But even with the odds that good, all along the way, one can only hope they do not fall into the statistical minority. Fortunately, I am among the majority and my cancer is now officially in remission.

So, now that I’m on the road to recovery, what’s next? Well, in the short term, a much anticipated family cruise to Mexico. Medically speaking, I will be under the watchful eyes of my oncologist for quite a while. My next visit will be in 6 weeks. This will be for more lab work to make sure that my immune system hasn’t stalled and that my white blood counts continue to rally. I will also have the pleasure of enduring a series of PET scans, one every 3 months for the next 2 years, then one every 6 months, for the following 3 years. In reality, this will just present a truly minor inconvenience over the next 5 years.

My initial intention was to use this blog as an efficient method of communicating my progress through chemotherapy. I think it has achieved the initial objective. So, now that treatment is complete and I am beginning to regain my strength, I look forward to catching up with friends and family in person.

I anticipate that my blog entries will continue, but on a far less frequent basis. The blog can still prove an efficient means of providing updates, especially for those who I don’t get the opportunity to see on a regular basis.

That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. I’ll write again when there is more to tell…for now, please go out and do something positive today, hug a loved one and count your blessing!

Glenn