Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts for my scan and the chemo that followed.
The scan itself went well, with only one small bit of excitement:
- They accessed my port, then tested it by shooting saline in and testing for a blood return (does the blood flow out?). Fine.
- I drank two bottles of contrast or whatever it is. Fine.
- I lay down on the table to be scanned, and a tech flushed the port again and again checked for a return. But this time, no return. Ugh.
- She called in a nurse, who tried again and again, moving my upper body into many positions. Still no return. They asked if I had a vein they could use. I have one vein in my hand they could potentially use; I protect that with my life. I panicked and told them that I would rather reschedule the scan.
- So she tried one more time and, voila, blood return. The nurse was happily shocked – she said that she has never seen that. I simply gave thanks that it happened.
- Scan itself then went smoothly, and no side effects from the contrast. After all the excitement, I slept much of the rest of the day.
Scan results were good:
Got the results on Tuesday, just before I went into chemo. Good news: No new spots. The current spots are all stable or smaller.
(Sorry for the delayed report – between chemo and recovery, I’m just writing now.)
All three days of chemo went smoothly. Yay!
Thank you again for helping me through this week and for supporting my family. We really appreciate all of it!
Love,
Marie
Adventures in Spiritual Living 
So glad you had good news. Hugs to you!
Oh, what great news! Some smaller and no new ones! You are a brave one. Bless you.
That’s wonderful news! So glad to hear it!
Thank, God. Appreciate the good news.
Marie! Yay! This is all such great news!
Thank you for taking the time to send an update, love Eliza
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Hi, Marie. Few people can appreciate your scan results more than I! Thanks be to God!
Deborah
I am so happy for this great news! God is good!!
Yay!!! Love stable and small! Need mylk? Can do it tomorrow after work! Xoxo
Stacey
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And there was much rejoicing… (Yaaaaaay!)
Glad to hear…so good news!!!Forza bambina…baci!!!!!
Wonderful news!!
I had a very similar experience with the port/contrast thing last month. It had been a marathon day of exams and blood work (with my vein!) and pathology news. The scan was at the end of the day and when I was laying on the table and they said they’d have to use a vein instead of my already accessed port, I nearly lost it. I kept telling myself to hold it together because these people did not know what I’d been through that day and its just a silly vein. But its not! Its a big to me and to you and I’m happy to hear I’m not alone.
Couple tricks I’ve used: arms in the air, hold breath as they are trying to get the return, beg God “please this time”. 🙂 The hold breath has been really good to me.
I thank the Lord that things went well. Yay!
Keep faith.
Love, Barbara
Marie, so glad to hear that the scan results were good. You endure so many awful orocedures, thank Goodness the result was good news.
Dear Marie,
I discovered your blog through WBUR CommonHealth, and applaud you for your courage, inspiration, transparency and wonderful writing. Such good news about the scan results and chemo treatment! The WBUR connection is a small world/amusing item, because my work study job at Boston University many years ago as a broadcasting and film major was as a board engineer at WBUR.
Your focus on spirituality and health care are very top of mind for my colleagues and me at the nonprofit HealthCareChaplaincy Network, (www.healthcarechaplaincy.ogy) where our mission is to advance the integration of mission is to advance the integration of spiritual care in health care through clinical practice, research and education in order to improve the patient experience and satisfaction and to help people faced with illness and grief find comfort and meaning, whoever they are, whatever they believe, wherever they are.
A year ago, consistent with our mission last year, we launched the website CantBelieveIHaveCancer (www.cantbelieveihavecancer.org) which, with little publicity, has generated 200,000 visits, most of which were first-time visits. It also includes the ability to request a free and confidential Chat With A Chaplain by phone, email or video and to request a prayer . We describe it this way at the top of the homepage: ” If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, this site was created for you. You are not alone. Serious illness, trauma or grief can create spiritual distress leaving one struggling with questions such as ‘Why is this happening to me?’ ‘What do I have to live for?’ ‘What now?'”
The homepage copy continues: “As you live with cancer, you need to gather support and resources for your whole self. You need to know that there is a safe place where you can share your fears, your emotions, and your struggle to find meaning, comfort, and hope.”
Marie — If you know of anyone that you think would find these resources worthwhile, my colleagues and I would appreciate very much your letting them know. And I hope you don’t mind that I say that you and your family are in our prayers.
Best,
Jim Siegel
Executive Vice President for Marketing & Communications
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network: Caring For The Human Spirit
jsiegel@healthcarechaplaincy.org
T 212-644-1111 x141
@MeaningComfort on Twitter
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What terrific news!
Great news Marie!!
I couldn’t sleep so I am up reading email and what a wonderful thing to come across!! So happy for you, great news. Thank you for sharing, inspiring, being you.