All Quiet on the ChestBurn Front
Aaaaand... we're back.
Status update:
I still have cancer.
It is still Stage 4.
There are still three tumors in my liver.
Cancer cells still meander around my body.
However.
In the six weeks since my last oncology visit, there have been no treatments, no meds, the gate has stood unguarded. And nothing has changed. The latest CT shows that all three tumors are essentially the same size they were in December (one grew a tiny fraction, two shrunk a tiny fraction, which could just be variations in measurement). Why are things so stable? There are no definitive answers. Maybe we've beaten it into submission (not remission), maybe it's regrouping for another assault, maybe it's been distracted by binge-watching The Crown. Since cancer is already evil, I just assume it stole my Netflix password, too.
This is a major relief and has warranted me an extended recess. We will now try seven more weeks without chemo. Again, this could be interrupted by symptoms re-emerging, or an attractive case study opening up somewhere out there (How YOU doin’, case study?). Otherwise, I can keep being relatively normal. However close to normal I get, anyway.
As expected, most of my break was pretty low-key. With some restrictions temporarily lifted, I've indulged in hamburgers and had a drink on New Year's Eve and a few other choice occasions. Without the nausea, I finally tried out those VR goggles that have been sitting around since summer. Not bad, but I think I'm already a generation behind on the tech after just six months. Popcorn still doesn't agree with me, which is a major blow to my movie-watching habits, but I've watched plenty of films nonetheless. And yeah, I'm going to keep trying to eat it. Also, I'm almost back to regular-length workouts at the gym, even if not as frequently as I would like.
In the next seven weeks, I'll take my first real road trip in awhile, since stomach pain during treatment kept me from being able to sit for hours at a time. I want to see more live music, catch up with more friends, and will definitely take time to root against the Patriots. I'll get to work more since more work is becoming available. I'll also apparently be saying the word “more” a lot.
As for more (see?) chemo, it's out there in the future somewhere. Don't know when, but I'm reminding myself that even a longer break is still a temporary one. But it's still a break, so I'm going to keep enjoying it. Also a goal: getting karaoke back into the routine. This was confirmed when the Rockefeller Institute's pianist was playing this song as we left today. Embrace the 80's-ness. And if I don't update again for awhile, things are still stable. Hopefully I will be, too.












