Going back a couple posts now to the urine collect introspect, that one kind of got away from me, but boy it made me feel good to make an awkward and very necessary test seem a bit lighter compared to the stress that does come in prepping for the test. By that I mean the lack of coffee that turn a kind and caring, kind person into a…well a bear poked from hibernation. I see by the comments shared on my Facebook group site most of us share that in common, for those of us that can still enjoy a morning coffee. I talk with many of us zebras not longer afforded that simple luxury (coffee) and my heart truly goes out to you. So, as I sit here sipping my morning Joe, sorry, I realized that I never did share the results of the three month check up and that works for me as a topic to fill this month up with.
Yes, the 24 hour collect sucks, but I find the blood work part to be a piece of cake and I’m usually in and out of the hospital in under fifteen minutes. In that time I get a stark reminder of how much worse things could be as other patients sit hooked up to an I.V. receiving their chemo. Although my diagnosis is terminal and trust me I have very bad days, when I witness some off the sickness my heart sinks for these people and their families and wish there was more I could do. I drive an hour to get these simple tests done, then an hour home. I used to complain that it’s such a waste of time, now I take pride and feel fortunate that I am still able to drive.
The follow up Call
Usually a couple weeks later a phone call appointment will be set up between myself and my Oncologist, I go the doctors office for the six month scan results and phone calls for the blood work and that seems to work best. Plus by the time he gives me a call I’ve always snuck a peek at MyChart.ca online anyway and like many of us Neuroendocrine patients we have become basically experts in reading the results, so I almost always know how the call will go. This time the follow up call was about an hour late, very unusual for my doctor, I believe he is one of the rare punctual ones. When the phone eventually rings, even though I know that the trend line in my markers has relatively stayed the same there is always a sense of anxiety. The stress is immediately lower by the tone in his voice as I hear him tell me what I already presume, that the markers are a little high (normal), but still trending in a straight line, not the erratic ups and downs that came early in my diagnosis. The phone call is a quick ten minutes with the regular “How do you feel?” and “How’s the treatment?” questions or have I been experiencing any symptoms. “Besides some days of fatigue and brain fog”, I typically feel okay is my answer, although the Sandostatin (treatment) shots while not hurting more, the lingering soreness of two big needles is starting to be more noticeable, but manageable still.
With the phone call being done I almost always take 10 and go meditate regardless of the news and decompress during that time, typically getting up and feeling refreshed afterwards. Now that I have started once again to refocus on my meditation I can sense a bit more of clarity in the brain matter and over the past couple weeks reading has once again become clearer, I’m more able to absorb the material at a quicker pace, which in turn boosts my mood. It’s seems though that as soon as my session is over my cell rings and it’s the hospital, no bad news, just the ladies calling to start setting my next appointments to come in a short three months of this never ending cycle. Many of you under the comments on the Facebook page said how much you dislike (hate) the urine collect, well to my fellow zebras I’ll challenge you on that. I throughly hate the CT with contrast scan by far the most, a) I don’t know how this happens, but there’s always an issue getting an IV in my arm, I drink a ton of water, my arms are still fairly strong so I have veins-o-plently close to the surface and I have been poked a lot, the one time took four tries, I almost left!. b) I hate, hate the contrast the warm feeling of evacuating bowels haunts me, never been an accident I do though feel it’s only a matter of time. C) I honestly just feel like shit for about three days after, my body doesn’t enjoy the crap I drink and whatever is injected in me.
Conclusion
All in all the the three month was positive and still shows, without imaging that the cancer has remained stable. I still am always on the hunt for new therapies that are complementary to my already great treatment regiment. With that being said I’m hoping to start a two to three day fast tomorrow, so that will be my next posts, following me and how my first fast will either help or hinder. Fasting is said to have some cancer preventing factors as well as helping to clear the cobwebs and make me more mentally sharp. So, let’s see how this goes, wish me luck!!
Cancer Won't Run My Life 