This week I received my 9th cycle of chemo therapy and I am feeling overwhelmingly grateful and hopeful. Two weeks ago I had my first CT scan, following my surgery in September, and so far the scans are showing no evidence of disease! That is to say, no evidence that there is any freakin cancer inside of me right now! Both the Oncologist and Surgeon seemed very pleased with my results thus far, and one of them even used the words cancer free!!! It's hard to express the feeling, but it just feels so awesome right now! It's like the phase 'Light at the end of the tunnel' but right now it's like I can feel the warmth of that light, as it's so close.

This is a great start for this next part of my journey, as so far, everything has been best case scenario. Best case scenario from how the chemo therapy works on my body, to how well the surgery went, to how well I've been recovering, and now my scans. I don't know what I would have done without my tribe, my family, in one of the worst things to have happen to me, I've never felt alone or unloved. I appreciate so much all the thought and prayers. I appreciate the friends and family that have reached out, visited, and helped when they could. You all have no idea how much it means to me.

Now I still have work to do, I'm faced with three more cycles of chemo to improve the odds that a reoccurrence of the disease doesn't happen, but chemo is being rough on my liver. I keep having my chemo delayed due to high liver enzymes, but we know it's because of the chemo and not likely some other problem, but it does elongate this whole process. Within the the first year, statistically, there is a 50-60% chance that this will come back and I will have to start this whole thing all over again, but when I make it past the one year mark that number drops considerably and then after 5 years drops to the low single digits and we all throw a giant party!!

So, 9 cycles completed and 3 more to go! Then I'll have scans and blood work every 3-4 months for the next 2 years, then every 6 months for 3 years, and then every year for the next 5.  If you can let's keep praying and sending positivity to my family and I, and keep getting these best case scenarios!