Rumba! Rumba! Rumba!

Time for me to pay closer attention to those "how-to" videos on YouTube, the ones where professional instructors go over the steps of various dance routines. As I said in my previous post, I may have reason to learn the rumba - AND I DO!!!

At long last I have received the result of last week's CT scan. Maybe I should have titled this post "The Cat Came Back". Hmmm. Anyhoo, that I received the news today was something of a surprise. You see, after attending Mom's condo AGM last night, I arrived home to find a message from Dr Wadge on my answering service. Part of the message was cut off (incoming call?) so I only heard "improved ... so that's good news". Anxious to learn the rest of the info, I tried to contact Dr Wadge today when I went to the hospital for my weekly pre-chemo blood work/weigh-in. She was unavailable, but passed the message along that the news was indeed good and she would explain further when she next saw me - which I took to be tomorrow during my weekly chemo treatment. Sooooo, imagine my surprise when, later in the day, I had an appointment with my GP (Dr J) re the ongoing issue of eczema in my ears and was given a copy of the very report Dr Wadge was talking about.

Like Dr Wadge, Dr J had received the CT scan results last night but since he wasn't in his office he didn't have access to my phone number so couldn't call. He said he was pleased to learn upon arriving at the office today that I had an appointment for this afternoon, so he could deliver the report results in person. He couldn't stop smiling while telling me this, so I knew it was good news. But I had no idea just how good the results were until he handed me a copy of the report.

This report compared the CT scan taken on March 1 (the date when in hospital I was told the cancer had spread to my lungs and spleen) with the one taken last Monday. Here is the short version of the results of that "study":

The study suggests significant improvement in terms of the pulmonary and presumed splenic metastases. In each case the number of metastatic sites appears to have diminished with the remaining metastatic sites smaller than on the previous examination. There are no new findings to suggest extension of the disease. In other words, there are fewer cancer sites on both lungs and on the spleen compared to the March 1 CT scan! The remaining sites have shrunk, and there is no evidence that the cancer has spread into my liver, kidneys, or anywhere else.

Funny that it seemed easier to take in the news that I had cancer in the first place than to learn that it is showing signs of being driven out of my body. I am still trying to grasp the fact that the news is so very good. No doubt this is the sort of thing cancer specialists see/hear every day, but for me it is nothing short of a miracle. Yes, the chemo worked, and worked well. More over, so did the tremendous power of all those prayers, healing energies, and good wishes sent by so many near and far. My medical team rocks! My family and friends are the best in the world! My God, but I have been so very, very blessed.

An interesting aside: The closing blessing at Sunday's church service was made in honour of National Aboriginal Day. The wording of the blessing (sorry, I don't know the original source) is remarkably close to the prayer/blessing that Alice read when presenting me with the family prayer quilt a couple of weeks back. The beginning is also similar to the hymn I mentioned a few postings back, the one that I expect everyone to sing at my funeral as they gyrate to the accompanying actions. This journey I'm on seems to be very much about love, about finding the links between my physical, mental, and spiritual self. Sunday's blessing underscored a lot of that, in my mind at least.

God is before us.
God is behind us.
God is above us.
God is below us.
God's words shall come from our mouths
For we are all God's essence, a sign of God's love.
All is finished in beauty.
All is finished in beauty.
May the Creator watch over you.
May the Spirit guide and lead you.
May Jesus be present in all that you do.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you,
within you and surrounding you and those you love,
this day and always.