Cancer Free!

So after 8 LONG days of waiting for results and calling my doctor twice to see if he had them, we finally got the official word that the biopsies were benign. We are thrilled by the news. I think we were already preparing for chemo in our heads although hoping for the best. What a great birthday present I gave my husband this year!!

I found out the reason it took 8 days to get the results back was because my doctor sent the biopsies to be tested 3 more times after the initial results. He thought it couldn't possibly not be cancer based on my CA-125 level, CT results, and cancer history. So, he wanted to be really really sure before he gave me the results (although I would have been happy with a phone call telling me the preliminary biopsy results were benign.)

So what's causing the highly elevated CA-125 level, and what are the mystery growths on my spine, liver, and kidneys? No clue. He said it could be an infection; it could be from the endometriosis and recent surgery; it could be nothing; it could be cancer that hasn't shown up yet. I don't really understand the last scenario because he ran the biopsies 4 times. I'll go back in a month for what I refer to as the MDA Cocktail: another round of blood work, CT scan, and possibly some biopsies depending on what the first 2 tests show. If my CA-125 level is the same or lower and the CT scan shows nothing remarkable, then I'll be officially cleared for the next year. If my CA-125 level is higher and the CT scan shows growths, then they'll do more testing, and I won't be cleared. So, obviously we hope for the first situation.

When my doctor told me he's pretty sure my cancer is back despite these biopsy results, I asked him if he missed me and wanted to see me more. I told him we could always get together for lunch in The Woodlands, his treat, if he really wanted to see me more often. He laughed, and I'm thankful I still have a sense of humor despite his persistence that the cancer is back. Maybe he doesn't want to get my hopes up? Or maybe he just can't understand how it's possible to have faith that it's not cancer despite what he tells me? I don't really understand his view on these test results but whatever, I'm thrilled that the biopsies were benign.

So we wait for the next round of tests in mid-August. Please continue to pray for us and that all of the tests would show NO cancer, NO growths, NOTHING abnormal. A friend said she's praying for an infection. An infection would be nice; they're easily treatable with antibiotics. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective.