Journal entry by Renee Reed —
Last Wednesday was the "big" day starting the day off with an 8 am PET scan. Oh I love these so much because you cannot eat before but are required to drink a ton of water and are injected with some radioactive glucose material, then required to sit without moving for an hour and a half while the radioactive shit moves around your body. If you move or hold a book/phone etc then the radioactive material will go directly to those muscles and make them literally light up on your scan, making it look like you have cancer in those muscles when you really don't!
It was awesome having a big group (Sean, Nance, Ter, Grant, Alyssa, and Glenn) to be with me while we sat and waited to hear the results of the PET scan. It was funny having random health care providers popping their heads in wondering who the heck I was that I needed such a big group with me. We waited for 2 hours to for the results, but unfortunately the radiologists were backed up so we left without knowing.
Dr. Kline called me at 4:30 saying "You want the good news or the good news?" It took me a second to process that information because I was wondering if I had heard the word bad in there. I was in remission! I bursted out crying and had this overwhelming feeling of relief and exhaustion at the same time. Doc said that I can also get this stupid port out as soon as my immune system kicks back up in a few weeks! whoo hoo! I've never been so excited to say that I will be deported soon!
And how do you celebrate that your cancer is in remission? You know, you have your classic Asian themed dinner right?! We celebrated with our family at Ryan and Amandas that night with of course having to dress up for our monthly dress up dinners!
So right now the game plan is that I lay low for the next two weeks and then I can finally see all my friends and family with kids and lay off the precautions! I will be following up with Dr. Kline every 3 months for imaging and blood work to make sure that this stupid disease stays away. The likelihood that lymphoma will return is highest in the first 2 years after remission and then drops significantly after 5 years. I am praying hard that the most challenging part of this journey is done. It has been a rollercoaster and I hope that I don't have to put my friends and family through it again.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers, well wishes, and support! It means a lot to me and my family. This uphill battle is now leveling out to some easier terrain and I am looking forward to start rebuilding this super deconditioned body and hopefully grow a few more hairs on the top of my head (I didn't lose it all...just 3/4 of it but I feel weird having female pattern baldness. Maybe I should talk to Urlacher about Restore! haha jk) and cannot wait to return to "normal" which I have taken for granted for far too long.
It was awesome having a big group (Sean, Nance, Ter, Grant, Alyssa, and Glenn) to be with me while we sat and waited to hear the results of the PET scan. It was funny having random health care providers popping their heads in wondering who the heck I was that I needed such a big group with me. We waited for 2 hours to for the results, but unfortunately the radiologists were backed up so we left without knowing.
Dr. Kline called me at 4:30 saying "You want the good news or the good news?" It took me a second to process that information because I was wondering if I had heard the word bad in there. I was in remission! I bursted out crying and had this overwhelming feeling of relief and exhaustion at the same time. Doc said that I can also get this stupid port out as soon as my immune system kicks back up in a few weeks! whoo hoo! I've never been so excited to say that I will be deported soon!
And how do you celebrate that your cancer is in remission? You know, you have your classic Asian themed dinner right?! We celebrated with our family at Ryan and Amandas that night with of course having to dress up for our monthly dress up dinners!
So right now the game plan is that I lay low for the next two weeks and then I can finally see all my friends and family with kids and lay off the precautions! I will be following up with Dr. Kline every 3 months for imaging and blood work to make sure that this stupid disease stays away. The likelihood that lymphoma will return is highest in the first 2 years after remission and then drops significantly after 5 years. I am praying hard that the most challenging part of this journey is done. It has been a rollercoaster and I hope that I don't have to put my friends and family through it again.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers, well wishes, and support! It means a lot to me and my family. This uphill battle is now leveling out to some easier terrain and I am looking forward to start rebuilding this super deconditioned body and hopefully grow a few more hairs on the top of my head (I didn't lose it all...just 3/4 of it but I feel weird having female pattern baldness. Maybe I should talk to Urlacher about Restore! haha jk) and cannot wait to return to "normal" which I have taken for granted for far too long.
“When life throws a curveball, say thank you for the opportunity to learn and grow.” - Michelle Maros
As terrible as the cancer treatment was, it has given me an opportunity to learn how to cook and relax, and hang with my family more, and grow in my faith and appreciation for the small gifts life has to offer.
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