Monday consisted of MRIs with and without injected contract of my brain and spine.  The brain has been standard practice since the beginning to ensure the radiation continues to be doing its work and that we don’t need to call the cops to shut down the party they illegally set up in my brain.  The spine is to address the extreme hip and back pain I was experiencing the last few months and to see if more needs to be done.  For those not in the know the contrast clings to the tumors so it helps to really highlight them and hopefully get a more accurate measurement.  

After almost 2 hours worth of MRIs / nap time we changed buildings for a quick CT of my chest and abdomen to make sure everything is all good.  The contrast for this scan is always fun as there is definitely a warm sensation that 100% makes you feel like you peed your pants… no pants have been peed in during any of these scans 😂 I always double check after! Oh and this scan is quick and easy and it all takes roughly 5 mins…

After the scans is where the Scanxiety sets in strong followed by MyChart results that aren’t always safe to read before speaking with the Dr… I’ve found it typically causes me to spiral more so I tend to wait for the expert to tell me what I need to know.  

Thankfully the brain results came in the next day and we found the tumors continue to shrink and they are starting to look like doughnuts (this is how you know tumors are dying - they clear in the center first and work their way around).  I will always say that I am so happy for smart people who figured this stuff out because cancer is a scary beast.  These results gave us the hugest sigh of relief because this means full brain radiation is not at the top of the radar at this time so my hair can continue to grow! 🙌 

With that good news and my energy returning we were feeling good going into Friday where we would not only have my next infusion, but the remainder of the scan results as well.  Thankfully the good news continued to come in as things are remaining stable or shrinking and we are now using how I’m feeling to really gauge the importance of next steps.  So in short are we out of the woods yet? Nope not even close… but since I’m feeling human again there is no need for immediate next steps and we will continue down the path on this medication… so we will take the win and hopefully enjoy the summer ☀️

It’s weird to say but my next appointment isn’t until July 2… this is literally the LONGEST break I’ve had between appointments since April 2023! We can thank the upcoming corgi beach day in the slight delay in treatment, but there is something about saying I don’t have to go back until July that brings a certain level of satisfaction.  

I’ve definitely been starting to feel human again and have been able to carry out some of my old normal activities… like going to the store, walking 2+ miles without needing to rest during or immediately following, showering with no issues, walking uphill, riding my Peloton, hitting poses in yoga, making dinner…. the list goes on and on.  The last 6 months have truly been exhausting and we really didn’t realize how bad it was until I started come out of it. 

As always thank you to those who continue to show up in whatever capacity and to those who allow me to fully vent I love you the most 💖 This journey is far from easy and what I share is usually just the tip of the iceberg as there are so many layers and other things going on and you can only share so much at a time without writing a novel.  

In closing I’ll leave you with these lyrics from Human Again from Beauty and The Beast .. this seemed appropriate as I continue on my journey to be human again…