Scans Today #1

Today, I will have my first testing to see how the chemotherapy is working. We won't know the results until Tuesday of next week (9/17).  I just put this on here so that no one is waiting to read the results on the blog until then.

I have "Genetic counseling" at 11am (Mountain Time). This involves a blood test and will go over three major factors:

• inherited risks (which don't really apply to me since I already have it, but will help family members know) 
• diagnostic and treatment options (what treatments might be open to me in the future if I need them)
• prevention of future cancers if I have a predisposition. 

I'm honestly not hoping for much from the genetic counseling since we have a lot of information just from my biopsy report. But it will be nice to know if the counselor has some new information or options for me. 

My PET SCAN is at 1:00pm (Mountain). They are much more modern than the movie/TV show PET scans seem to be. Basically, the technician will inject glucose into my port (much easier than a vein) and the radioactive dye will race through my body. Then, I am put through a machine that looks like this: 

and it's not really claustrophobia-inducing (like they used to be). I basically closed my eyes and said the Rosary last time and it was over (about 20 minutes). My entire body will be scanned and there will be an image similar to this (this is not me, it's from the internet): 

In the PET scan results above, the person probably has lung or throat cancer. In my past scans, my liver has two little spots and my tumor is in my rectum (so lower than these). I also had enlarged lymph nodes, my hip lit up and I had some "wait and see" places. Welcome back to Bio 101!! Often, things like infections or injuries will light up as well, so there is a little bit of investigating that needs to go into reading a PET scan. Best result is nothing lighting up. If they can't find anything, then the chemo is working amazingly well. But, any shrinking of previous spots is good too...

All I can say is that I'm totally at peace about it. I think God is protecting my mind and heart because I am authentically OK. I am not sure how Shawn is...except that he's VERY hopeful. D is staying home from school today because he's actually taking it the hardest. You can imagine how sensitive teen boys are about their moms; and he woke up pretty nervous for me. He could use some prayers today, I think. Thank you in advance. C and H are brilliantly clueless and off to school in a rush, and that bit of normalcy calms and strengthens me. 

And I woke up to this reading sent from Betsy (which was in the Magnificat prayer book today): 

Everyone reading this blog, my sweet husband, Betsy, my mom and dad, our neighbors, the friends and family sending texts and love, all of our meal train servants, our St Mary community, all of the priests and religious praying (Fr Nathan! Sr Megan!! The DCJM), St Mother Teresa, St Alphonsus Liguori, St Maria Faustina, Julia Greeley, Bl Frassati, Bridgie Sullivan...my cloud of witnesses is great and more than a blessing that helps us to "hold firm and take heart." I'll be sure to update if we hear anything. 

Jesus, I surrender everything to you, take care of everything.