3 Year Update

Whoooo- it's been awhile, but I suppose that's good.

They put up tinsel, and the fire has been "burning" for like 3 years now 

Slightly over 3 years since diagnosis, when I hit the 5 year mark in 2017 I'm considered to be "cured."  

Today was supposed to be the milestone of clean CT scan = only 1 CT needed a year with 2 doc visits a year for the next two years (instead of multiple scans a year).  My results show a clean scan with no enlargement of lymph nodes, or anything out of the ordinary....

Except for one tiny thing: the radiologist found a small 6mm pulmonary nodule on the top right of my lung, which is not a lymph node and has nothing to do with my cancer history of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Basically it's a tiny spot on my lung that showed up on my CT scan, which actually isn't even a big deal as they're caused by a wide variety of things like having or have had a bacterial + viral infection (colds, pneumonia etc), and a wide variety of random reasons. They can also disappear about as quick as they appear, or just stay there doing nothing, they're are common enough that they appear in about half of all CT scans preformed and smokers always have multiple nodes show up. 

So what's the catch if it's not a big deal? Given my history with cancer: I have to get another scan in 3 months at the end of March, instead of the intended Dec 2016, just to see what the pulmonary node will be doing then.  I was hoping I would be done with my friend the magnetic tube for awhile, ah well.  Though bright side: I won't need to drink contrast to see my lymph nodes as my lymph nodes look fine (citrus still remains my "favorite," avoid mocha-chino if they try to push the flavor on you, it's a trap because no one ever picks it and they're just trying to get rid of them), so it will be just a plain CT scan of only my chest to check on my lung.

So in March 2016 after my scan:

• If it's still there: no big deal
• If it's gone: no big deal
• If it's doubled in size or new ones around it pop up, which is highly unlikely but means it's some sort of lung cancer

Doubling in size/spreading is unlikely given my medical history, though I did have radiation therapy applied around there but typically pulmonary nodes show up right after radiation treatment and within typically 24 months from treatment- and I'm about 30 months out. So I basically just have to wait until March 2016.

My doc was not particularly worried, given that they're common in scan, but due to medical history has to take all of the proper precautions.  Though he was the most animated I've ever seen him when he asked "what are you going to do for the new years?"  I told him get together with some friends and have a southern dinner, as my friends wife is from the south, and we've seem to have done southern dinner for the last few years after new years. My doc got super excited, asked what we were having then told me about the vacation his wife and he were going to go on in the summer to do the Mississippi Culinary Trail and do some sort of culinary road trip.  He was pretty stoked, "I love southern food... it's not good for you, but it's pretty great." Dude was on the verge of drooling.  I was pretty hungry at that point too, but I had sushi for lunch instead.

Also, cat:

"what.. why... off-OFF!... I guess this is my life now"

Continuing Check Ups

I am now 2 1/2 years out, since diagnosis, and a little under 1 year since remission.

When I went into my last appointment check in, I waited in the waiting area.  The front desk girl was still there, and as per usual she never forgets my name (though I'm pretty sure that she has a list of the patients that are coming that day under the counter, but I'm fine with that).

While I waited, there was a code blue  while I was waiting, which means someone went into cardiac or respiratory failure.  Immediately, the code blue response team showed up.  The eventually left, and I assumed the person in need was taken to the ER via internal access.

So then I waited... for at least an hour.  I figured they were busy, with a code blue etc.  I had assumed it was a patient that had an issue... until the head nurse came out, and told me I'd have to reschedule.  My Dr was the one who needed the code blue. I wasn't sure what to say, then the nurse offered up "how about we do your blood work and schedule?" Me: "Uhh... okay?"

I rescheduled 2 weeks later. 

When I eventually say my doctor, Dr: "this is odd... why did you do your blood work 2 weeks ago?  Normally that's done same day as I see you?"  Me: "Well... uh, you were pre occupied... as they called a code blue on you when you collapsed."  Dr:  "... was that 2 weeks ago?  AH, yeah it was. It not so good when the patients I see are seemingly in better health than I am." (He had a kidney stone, and collapsed from the pain. He's not a spring chicken).

I've hit the miles stone of "you've been so far okay, let's see you in August, and then do a scan in December.  If then you're okay after that scan at the end of the year, you won't need a scan after this, and I can see you 2 times a year for a couple of years, and then you're 'cured.'" 

SO:  If it get to the end of the year with not problems, I won't have to have another barium milkshake flavored by someone who has spent their entire life in a lab and doesn't know what "citrus" tastes like (I assure you sir, it DOES NOT TASTE LIKE THAT).

Life note: Wendy and I had our 4th "we've-been-together-and-we're-kinda-married-close-enough-I'm-a-godless-west-coast-atheist-whatever-with-labels" anniversary a week ago.  We celebrated at Rock Creek (great fish).

Awe, eating fish and being cute.

If people still read this:  I highly recommend, rather than blowing money + giving to shitty charities: give to cancer research as a whole, either lymphoma, breast, or basically any other, because really, if we can spend 4,000,000,000,000 on the military and only 4,000,000,000 (that's 4 trillion vs 4 billion)- that's kinda fucked up.

... I'll post a photo of cat next time, if you donate.