BIG BEST-CASE-SCENARIO NEWS!

Today's appointment with Dr. Puc went as best as could be imagined. She came in with a glow about her with the PET and CT scan results in print. She asked a few questions and launched into the results. At a point, instead of paraphrasing, she began to read. The thesis statement of the report: "There has been a complete response to therapy. There are no longer PET positive lesions."

It went into details about the tumors of late January, their sizes and in each case the sentence ended in "no longer present." There were tumors on the colon, spleen, liver and abdominal area seven weeks after surgery. Now, I am essentially cancer free. But, there is a chance there are microscopic bits and that is why I will do one more round of chemo. Insurance of sorts.

Dr. Puc and I discussed what to do next. She said typically after a PET result like mine, which she went on to say is not all that common with Stage IV cancer, they would recommend two more rounds of chemo. I brought up the fact that my CA-125 number was in normal range after the second chemo, and that had we done a PET sooner, the results would likely have been the same. Therefore, I wondered if we could safely conclude I have done at least one more round already. I asked the doctor if she would put herself in my shoes and tell me what she would do if she were me, and I pointed out that this round is still effecting me over a week later and the next is likely to be worse. She said if she were me, she would do one more round. She also said she would scale the round back 10%. So that is the plan. My last chemo is April 30. I will then continue with Vitamin C into May as can be afforded.

I asked about getting the port removed. She said no. She said that will stay in...and seemed to indicate it may need to be used again. The thing that I know to be noteworthy in my situation is that Dr. Puc is not a gynecological cancer specialist. She is an integrative oncologist, which is what I wanted. She has consistently looked at the whole picture and again today pointed out how my positive attitude has been vital. Dr. Puc seems delighted and surprised at my outcome, but my surgeon who is an ovarian cancer specialist stated she would be very surprised if I were not in remission after treatment. Dr. Brown at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, another ovarian cancer specialist, said that ovarian cancer responds very well to the two-chemo-combo I have now completed four rounds of. Knowing these experts had stated this to me,  I truly always believed the cancer would respond to treatment. Back to the port...I'm ok leaving it for a while. They will be drawing blood monthly to check the CA-125 markers. The port simplifies blood draws. But, I believe, whole-heartedly that I will not need it for further chemo treatments. I am not gonna let cancer get back in me. My body is not gonna be a hostess anymore. That's me taking a stand, just like I took one to embrace therapy and to do so with as much grace as possible. I will admit, I cried more than I thought I would, given I really went into this knowing the importance of positivity. I cried when I felt unable to do for me and like I had to ask and hope for what would have seemed to me at the time to have been karmic-turnabout to have just received what I needed. I cried over agonizing bone pain, I cried over simple misunderstandings, I cried feeling woe is me. But, it sure wasn't the majority of the time or anything close to that. So, I cut myself slack and wonder if just about anyone might have cried that much anyhow.

But...whooooo-hooo...I am grateful and happy and thinking about how I would like to start making some plans about what is next!