Flying Without a Net - August 12, 2012

Friends and Family,

It has been eight weeks since my last treatment with Avastin. I had a CT scan and lab work last week, followed by an appointment with my oncologist on Thursday to go over the results. Since my kidneys are taking too long to recover, it looks like there will be no more treatment with Avastin. Genevieve and I have been anxious to find out whether the cancer would start taking off, since it has now been two months since my last treatment.

We got some really great news. The cancer has grown, but so little that my oncologist considers it insignificant. Unless new symptoms come up, he doesn't even want me to have another CT scan for three months. He will want me to have a brain MRI at that time, since I still have killer headaches that require enough pain killers to tranquilize a horse every day. The severity, consistency and duration are a bit unusual, but since they haven't changed for six or seven months he's not particularly alarmed. Of course, I've done my own research on this. One person blogged that it took six months after treatment ended for her Avastin headaches to go away, so I'll just stay patient and grateful that this is the biggest of my concerns at this time.

This is the best of all worlds: No treatment, and no cancer growth. Based on everything I have read, this lack of growth is pretty extraordinary, now that there is nothing (at least no medical treatment!) stopping the cancer from growing.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you for your positive thoughts, prayers, and all of the other support you have given me. Without all of you, and particularly Genevieve, there is no doubt in my mind that I would be on a very different path right now.

Today we're going to watch the closing ceremony for the Olympics. It has inspired me to start training for Rio de Janeiro in 2016. I already have LONG JUMP experience, after leaping to conclusions when I suddenly started having problems with my breathing a couple of months ago. This has also given me great experience at DIVING into the unknown, MENTAL GYMNASTICS, and WRESTLING with my emotions.

Watch out, Michael Phelps. I feel a new record coming on.

Love,

Dann