4 year follow up

I have my 4 year follow up today. 

This is how it goes with the timeline (at least for me): 

Treatment:

• Diagnosis (Sep 2012)
• Start Chemo (Oct 2012)
• End Chemo (March 2013)
• Rest before Radiation (April 2013)
• Radiation (April 2013)
• Rest (through July 2013)
• Back to work (July 2013)

Post Treatment:

• 1st + 2nd year from diagnosis: CT scan every 6 months, Dr. Visit every 3 months (Sep 2012 - Sep 2014), and 2 PET Scans for diagnosis and remission status.
• 3rd year from diagnosis: CT scan every 6 months, Dr. Visit every 6 months (Sep 2014 - Sep 2015)
• 4th year from diagnosis: CT scan 1 time a year (I had an extra CT Scan due to lung nodule), Dr. Visit every 6 months (Sep 2015 - Sep 2016) 
• HERE ON OUT 5th YEAR:  1 CT scan, Dr. Visit every 6 months (Sep 2016 - Sep 2017)
• 6th year:  I'm cured.  No more CT scans.

What that means:  I only have 1 more CT scan left to do, and only have to see my oncologist 2 more times.  Then no more checkups with an oncologist.  I do however, require an annual check up with my general practitioner doctor for routine blood draws.... though I haven't seen him in like 3 years, given that I've been to the doctor more than more people will ever see in their lives in the last 4  years.

My scan results today:

• "Nothing remarkable" ....which sounds kinda sad, but is actually good.  

I apparently am just fine with my health and not having cancer.  Yay.

After the next year, I should be fine.  Though the chance of having cancer goes up in about 20 years from there (when I'm 58), due to the chemo + radiation I received, but given medical research: that can go down quite a bit, but only if research is happening.

I also saw my old retired primary nurse today.  She's back in while the new head nurse is out for the next month. It was good to see her again.

Here's my (usual) exchange with my doctor today:
Dr: Looking good.  Has it been really 4 years?  That long?
Me: Yeah.
Dr: Well, you only have 1 more CT scan, ever. However, it will be with another doctor.  I'm retiring at the end of the year.
Me: What are you going to do with retirement?
Dr: Travel, while I'm not too feeble.

Though I have 2 art degrees, I work in medical research support (prior to my diagnosis actually).  People I know from "back then" who say, "why don't you try teaching or blah blah?"  Because I'm pretty good with what I'm doing.  I kinda hit a wall with the self-centered art thing, and I like what I do.  I still do that "art thing" on the side, but: I like what I do and what it ultimately means.

I recently took a trip to California, and Tahoe. It was a good "mancation" with old friends of mine from grad school. I needed a vacation, and to almost have a heart attack going up 1300' feet in 1/4 mile.

Those Seattle legs provided a lot of glare

I also saw one of my old grad advisers while in California, Mike Henderson. He used to keep some of my art up in his studio, they were gone when I visited.  His reason:

"I used to have your art up in my studio, old print proofs I pulled out of the trash of your studio one day. Then I heard you had cancer a couple of years ago, and I thought to myself that I didn't want to disrespect you with putting up something that you didn't want to be seen, so I took the prints down, and tore then up, and decided if you got better, you could just give me something to replace it that you liked." 

Well, I suppose I should give him some stuff.

Cat photo (because that's why you actually come here, it's the internet, it's okay). My friends' fat skeptical cat: