On Thursday, June 6th I had a CT and a bone scan.  Preliminary results came back that same day and my initial interpretation was that of mediocrity.  Bone metastases had not increased but inversely it did not decrease.  The largest lymph nodes reduced in size by approximately 8 percent and a critical lesion on my spleen had stabilized.  While not the same gauge of response that I encountered with my first bout of chemo in late 2022/early 2023, it was still a move in the right direction. 

The lens I always forget or maybe I purposely avoid, to look through is that of a terminal stage 4 diagnosis.  There is no cure or remission for me. This will be an ongoing battle the remainder of my time on this planet.  With that lens applied the scans were positive.  Yesterday, while at lunch with Tina, my oncologist called to remind me of just that.  He had seen through mychart that I already reviewed the scan results and called to reassure me not to fret all weekend, that my results were positive, and we will talk more on Monday before my scheduled chemo infusion.  I thought that was a grand gesture and I was very appreciative of his call.  Not but 10 minutes prior to his call, I told Tina how nervous I was for the upcoming discussion on Monday.  Funny how the universe works sometimes.

All in all, this chemo med Jevtana has been ok.  I've learned that I will at least vomit once per cycle (even with nausea meds), and that the last week prior to the next cycle is rough.  I wake up feeling like I've been hit by a bus and sleeping 8-10 hours which is a lot for me and as well as heavy fatigue during the day.  My weekly shot of Retacrit has stabilized my anemia and I haven't had a blood transfusion since early May.  I've hit the groove for the most part with pain management and have started to feel a bit restless.  I'm hoping and aiming to go back to work in some capacity later this summer.  Being on long-term disability has left me feeling rather unfulfilled and while I can no longer do the physical work around home, I am starting to feel that I can still contribute my mental acuity to something productive.

Speaking of mental acuity, my journey into the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe culture and language has been keeping me busy.  I've started attending a small language table again, zoom presentations on treaty history in Minnesota and watching many classes on spirituality and culture.  Summer for the Ojibwe is a time for sowing, growing and preparing for winter as well as celebrating life.  I'm looking forward to the Bois Forte Lake Vermilion Powwow at the end of June and we plan on spending the week at the lake, I cannot wait.  In my journey, I've found 5 generations of Bois Forte in my family tree, all of which were residents of the Lake Vermilion region.  This is definitely our home.

Taking a deep dive into my family's heritage is something I wish I would've done more of years ago.  About 6 or 7 years ago, I dove deeply into the European side of my family tree and it was very interesting to find the Danish origination of the Larson family name as well as the Norwegian and German heritage from my Mom's side.  I'll be happy to leave that legacy for my kids and extended family.

I'm starting to ramble now, so I will end here.  I will post again in another 3-4 weeks.  Hoping to find out how many more chemo doses I will receive in Monday's discussion with the Oncologist and what options are next.  Until next time....