I've been meaning to write an entry in
my blog since February when I received my latest PET scan results. I
finally sat down today and to begin my session I checked on my last
post and saw that it was almost day for day one year ago. Reading
over that last post I realize that I am living in a state of grace
following the same course of treatment with Caelyx, with its
characteristic lack of side effects, and enjoying the positive
results. The PET scan revealed a total lack of metabolic activity in
the tumors, the MRI shows that the tumors are significantly shrinking
and the level of the cancer markers in my blood continue to plummet.
According to the life
expectancy rates for patients with Stage 4 invasive epithelial
ovarian cancer (that's me) only 17% of patients survive for five
years after diagnosis. I was diagnosed in November 2010 so I'm well
on my way to becoming a poster child.
When we received the results of the PET
scan, I was in some ways afraid that Dr. D would declare that I was
in remission again. I didn't want to take that false high hopes/big
deception ride again. She said that she felt that we should continue
the treatment since it gave such good results and was essentially
without any side effects. I heartily agreed thinking that as long as
I can tolerate it and as long as it continues to reduce the size of
the tumors than I should stay on it.
We packed our bags and headed for a ski
vacation just the two of us immediately after that treatment. I seem
to have been living out of my suitcase ever since then! There was a
trip to Brétagne to see Alec and family, then a trip to Camargue
during spring break with Émilie and Charlotte, followed by a visit
to our dear friends Jeni and Wendy in Lymington for Easter. We spent
ten days in Italy and Sardinia in July the purpose of the trip to
celebrate Thierry's nephew's wedding – a wonderful break. Then we
set up 'summer camp' here in Heuchin where we have received Émilie,
Charlotte and Lola for a week, followed by Alec, Jasmine, and Alec's
classmate and her family, followed by Jeni and Wendy for a long
weekend. It has been a non-stop summer fiesta.
It seems that I just can't see enough,
do enough, travel enough, enjoy enough. I feel a need to drink in
the sunshine, to relax and enjoy my garden, to watch the chickens and
contemplate the bees. I have an almost frenetic desire to take it
all in, which is one reason why I haven't taken the time to stop and
write.
I started harvesting our honey
yesterday starting with our new hive in Brussels. This weekend I
hope to harvest the two hives here in Heuchin. I thought the time
was ripe for harvesting my thoughts and sharing them with you.
