Sam had his PET scan on January 2nd and received the results last week when he met with his oncologist. His oncologist happily reported that nothing lit up in his lungs!!!! The nodule that they had been watching has even gotten a bit smaller, which she says is a very good sign. She said if she was not worried about it before, she is "infinitely less worried" after this scan, which to me sounds like a good reason to cross it off the worry list (do not recommend having one of these but old habits die hard). She also informed us that the original tumor in Sam's throat appears to be dead. So the cells that started all this have bit the dust, which is simply amazing. However, a very small part (microscopic sliver) of that big lymph node (the lump) that tipped us off to the cancer last year is still lighting up on the scan. Best case scenario, she said, is that the node is still healing. She ordered a repeat scan in 3 months to check up on  it. We felt cautiously optimistic after that meeting. 

Then Sam and my mom met his ENT on Monday afternoon. His ENT informed them that with Sam's cancer, involved lymph nodes, especially when they become cystic like his did, heal very slowly. In fact, he's not at all surprised to see that it lit up on the scan. He is encouraged by the fact that the node still is shrinking (based on Sam's December CT scan) and the shrinking (healing) is very likely the reason it lit up. We can't know for sure, of course, as nothing in cancer-land ever seems to be, but we have good reason to believe that he will get the "all-clear: YOU ARE CANCER FREE" in three months. We celebrated that meeting with our moms and dear friends watching Sam's beloved Dawgs win another National Championship without hesitation. 

Sam is fully back to work and our days have inched closer and closer to "normal" over the past few weeks. He is able to eat so much more and has even been able to drink a beer on occasion. If you have ever fancied yourself a beer-snob (like I did years ago), it would pain you to know the beer that goes down best so I will leave that out. Just know that he is inching closer to normal and "good" brewskis are in his future! On one of Sam's pain-filled days of recovery, he walked by a bowl of chips and said "I cannot wait for the day when I can mindlessly pick one of these up and eat it." A few weeks ago, he did just that! Because of a growing ease with eating and drinking, Sam is also slowly putting back on some weight. This weekend he is doing one of his favorite things in the world - fishing - with my brothers, soon-to-be-brother-in-law, and dad.  As my brother said, our collective experience with Sam's diagnosis, treatment, and recovery has made this year's trip more "epic and grateful." 

We've been having a breathtakingly beautiful (and backbreaking if you are of the shoveling kind) winter up here in the Northland. We drive around in wonder of the beauty of this world trying to snap pictures of the scene. Sending a pinch of that winter wonder (not the temps, we promise) and endless love your way as we all make our way into 2023.

You'll hear from me in three months.

Love,

Nicole