The radiologist has read my PET scan and the result is "Stable Disease." In other words, the cancer is neither growing nor shrinking. Given how aggressive this disease is, this is very good news.
I'll admit that I was hoping for some further shrinkage. I responded so well to the chemo + immunotherapy regimen that I was hoping that I would also respond unusually well to the immunotherapy alone. However, my oncologist says that in the end it doesn't much matter whether the tumor shrinks further. The main thing is to keep it from progressing again for as long as possible. And so far, that is what is happening.
I find myself a little sobered, though, at the thought that I am now transitioning away from crisis mode to Living With Cancer. This cancer will always be with me, and someday it will probably kill me.
But not today. And not even this year. For that I am deeply grateful.
This is great news, but I did and do still also hold out hope for a more miraculous shrinkage or disappearance in the future :)
ReplyDeleteNot growing is good, and we will join you in continuing to hope. Sending positive energy your way...
ReplyDeleteIt's such a blessing to hear how much better things are than they could have been at this point! And a reminder to all of us to make the most of every day.
ReplyDeleteIt is stable now, and tomorrow/next year, with the new therapies that will exist then, it will shrink and go away!
ReplyDeleteIt's natural to want even better news, but this is already really great news! And as the others said, it's not crazy to think that the news really will just keep getting better and better.
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for these results -- make those plans!! Someone once told me that we are born dying, which is completely true, and I think if we remembered it more often, we'd live better lives. Here's to living your life as fully as you can, every day.
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