ONE MONTH YESTERDAY SINCE SURGERY!!

Taken two weeks after surgery with my two favourite little people!!! It was a very happy Thanksgiving!

AN UPDATE .... WITH A PLUS!!!!

It is hard to believe that it has been a whole month yesterday since I was in Halifax having major surgery to remove a tumour from my abdomen! But then there are times when it feels like several months have passed …. I guess because I have recovered so easily and quickly this time (knock on wood).  Over the past couple of weeks I have had such good days that only the scar reminds me of what I've been through.

I started driving again on Sunday morning; a short jaunt to a local restaurant to meet five of my BFF’s from high school for a catch up breakfast. My girls …. They are so supportive. It still amazes me that we can gather around a table and continue our conversations as if we just saw each other yesterday. Our relationships are so easy. I consider myself VERY fortunate to have these gals in my life. As we get older, our conversations have drastically changed – the topic of boyfriends and dances has turned into children, grandchildren, and the pitfalls of getting older. Well, I guess things do change after 37 years, right?? LOL

But I digress. I have some wonderful news that I have been dying to share with you!! My Oncologist called today with his follow up report. And I have been floating on Cloud 9 since that conversation. Let me tell you all about it …..

During surgery, my Oncologist had discovered 3 nodules near the same area where my tumour was located. Naturally, the foregone conclusion was that these nodules were probably the start of 3 more GCT’s, so just to confirm, one was snipped and the sample sent off to the lab for testing. Since the surgery, I have been saying numerous prayers that these little guys would take their good old time growing to a size large enough to remove surgically. Although I am normally an optimistic person and deal with this disease head on, on the night before this last surgery, I experienced an all time low mentally. I wanted to run away … not go through with it at all, but that was not an option. And just this morning when I first awoke, I lay there wondering how long it would be this time before I was back under the knife again – a thought that has been on my mind fairly frequently.

Well, the news I got today has given me a something to be very gratefully for and a pardon, if you will, from these dark thoughts. Dr. Bentley tells me that the results of the testing on the nodules have come back NEGATIVE for cancer cells!!!! That’s right – NEGATIVE!!  I’m still in shock … a good shock … and feeling ecstatic because I can now push those thoughts of early recurrence to the back of my mind – at least for the time being!!

Now, that doesn't mean that the GCT he removed wasn't cancerous. It was. And I’m not naive  I know that there is a very strong possibility that I will have to face surgery again in the future. But because these little guys aren't ‘thriving’ GCT’s, I can now hope that it will be a much longer period of time before I have to go under the knife again. Dr. Bentley tells me that he considers this a very good sign. I certainly couldn't agree more!!

So that’s my story for today!! I’m feeling wonderful, still behaving myself to prevent complications, able to drive the car again, and simply enjoying the extra special care that Willie has giving me this past month. Hmmmmm …. Maybe I should drag this out just a little longer so that the TLC part of the experience doesn't have to end too soon!! hehe

Until next time …….

~ B-Optimistic ~   J