My oncologist is the best!

Since you've all been in this cancer journey with me from the start, I am happy to share what I call REALLY good news. This is the first time I am actually in the mood to celebrate! Woot! Woot! 

I met at 8 a.m. this morning with the oncologist who was visibly ecstatic that the MRI was clean. When I realized his joy, I was caught up in the moment, tickled to share his openly expressed glee. Like a schoolboy, he was beaming ear to ear!

Then he went forward in conversation to explain that my chemo drugs are a combination of four drugs: T, C, H, P...each standing for a medication with an extremely lengthy name. And, he detailed clearly how they build up in my system over time. It's what he calls the cumulative effect. 

The C drug has been depleting my white blood cells. It has now reached a level in me where it is sabotaging my white platelets and that is not good. My oncologist shared his concern over the situation, frowning and looking very serious. 

Then, as if in celebration, he smiled and announced that with a clean MRI, he would eliminate the C drug and I should be better able to tolerate the rest of the treatments. I couldn't believe my ears! "You shouldn't feel so sick all the time and you won't need any more shots," he explained.

From now on, I repeated, I will receive three basic drugs in my treatments: T, H, and P. Just three! And the drug that has been creating such havoc will be stopped. I almost jumped up and down like a school girl at a football game but chose instead to act my age. He nodded and smiled a cheerful, victorious grin.

Following today's appointment, I got my routine shot for my white blood cells, in order to receive tomorrow's treatment but then no more shots. The white blood cell killer will be left on the shelf to benefit someone else, somewhere, someday, somehow.

I left the clinic office for the long walk down that long hall out to the car, crying the whole way. Good thing I was wearing a mask. God is definitely taking care of me. Such relief to be done with feeling so sick and without energy all the time. What joy to think that I will be more able to tolerate the months ahead! Thank you, God, for helping me find a way back to strength again. I've really missed it and I celebrate our partnership. Now give me a Kleenex so I can clear my head! Talk about a roller coaster ride! 

Ecstatically signed, The I-could-never-tolerate-roller-coasters quilting cancer girl