Celebrate the Wins!

 Today was a good day with a few minor hiccups. My day started off with my follow up appointment with my surgeon. It has been 6 weeks since the whirlwind of a surgery day. That appointment went well and I don't have to go back for another 6 months. My surgeon cleared me for normal activities and normal diet. Granted...I am still figuring out what my body can tolerate and must still avoid certain foods that could make me sick while on chemo. This means I can run, lift weights, and do core workouts!!! This makes me happy. However, I do realize that I will not be able to jump into an active lifestyle like nothing has changed. Chemo and my reaction to it will determine what I am physically able to do, and it will change day by day...even hour by hour. 

My other news...PHEW! This one will need a little explanation. Science is cool...not so much when it is personal, but still cool. About 3 weeks after surgery, I went in and had some more testing done. This test does a full DNA work up of my tumor - tumor genomic profile.  I received a 21 page report from this test on Saturday. It lists all of the mutations, treatments that don't work based on the mutations, and possible clinical trials. What I learned from this report is that immunotherapy won't work for me, because the mutation turned off the immune response basically letting the cancer grow without any resistance...or something like that. Normally, I would deep dive into all of this, but I am choosing not to dwell on the science of it all right now. Well, there is another part of this test. It is a part that I have always expected to come back positive, so I really hadn't thought much about the results. I knew the results were due around February 13. This test looks for ctDNA in my plasma. In basic english...the tests looks for my circulating tumor DNA (any cancer cells floating around). I did not realize how badly I wanted those results to be negative until I received the main tumor genomic profile. I mentioned it to a friend on Sunday and that was our prayer, negative. Now, give me a minute to be real. Prayer is real. Prayer works. I believe in a God of miracles. I was praying for this test to be negative. I have 100% faith God can do that. However, I did not really think he would. So I was praying for something I wanted to be true, yet still doubting those prayers. Was I really praying in faith? I had faith that God could, but didn't believe He actually would. While driving to my doctor appointment, I received a text message that my test results were ready. 

 

PRAISE GOD!

I may have cried! 

I know that in the grand scheme of things, this can change and change quickly. This is a test that I will be doing monthly for a while. In fact, I am getting the blood draw tomorrow for this test again. I will celebrate this one! This does not change any treatment plans, because I am at a high risk for recurrence.

Y'all, God answers prayers...even when I doubt.

I have felt mostly good today. This is where we get real. How I feel can change wildly from hour to hour and minute to minute. I can be full of energy and literally five minutes later completely exhausted. It is driving me crazy. My new reality requires me to carry 5 medications (so far) with me everywhere. I have medication to stop diarrhea...it is a side effect of chemo. Another to help with nausea...another side effect of chemo,  plus a different one just in case the first doesn't work. Then I have a muscle relaxer for muscle spasms and something to take for pain. Today, in the middle of feeling pretty good, came a wave where I had to take one of those medications. About an hour later, I had to take a different medication. Then I was good and back to being completely exhausted.

Today has been a good day! 

Celebrate the win with me!