Had what was hopefully my last PET scan this week

Just wanted to let you all know.  Had the scan yesterday, and my oncologist emailed me a few hours later to tell me that everything still looks fine.

I am now 3 years (plus a little) out from my last episode of cancer, and I'll be cutting back to blood tests only after this.  The type of tumor I had is not a slow growing or lurking kind of cancer.  Most people who reach the metastatic phase, as I did, die within two years, even with treatment.  So my doctor feels that I have been cured.  Not a word I would have expected to hear just a few years ago, when this crap had reduced me to a shadow of my former self in a matter of months.

I would never say that I "beat" this stuff.  I got lucky, that's all.  There are no winners or losers in dealing with cancer.  We all do the best we can with the cards we're dealt.

I'm trying to celebrate the news.  I am really happy, especially for my kids.  My youngest was going into kindergarten when all of this started, now he's in his last year of grade school.  Whatever the future holds, he'll remember me now.  And my girls have gotten through some very tough teen years, and are moving slowly but surely into the adult world.  They needed me here during those hard years of growing up, and I'm so grateful I was able to be here for them.

I just wish that I could spread some of my luck around to others.  It hurts my heart to see how much pain this wretched disease brings to good people.  The news about Craig has made me very sad.

Anyway, we are going out for dinner tonight to celebrate...and meet my oldest daughter's new boyfriend.  He's 7 years older than she is, previously married, with two little kids he has half of the time.  And it looks like they're getting very serious!  Yikes...

life goes on.

Lots o' love~AA