Why now?

Its been a while.  Okay, thats an unfair understatement.  Its been, literally, years since I have written a post.  I was editing the Favorites in Safari today and came across the link to the Blog.  Haven't given it much thought in a long time, but something caused me to click the link today.

And here we are.  This is a big week for me, cancer-wise.  I don't have a lot of tests - just a "simple" chest x-ray, but Tuesday morning I see my oncologist, still Dr. Vicki Keedy, for what I hope will be the last "NED" report of the 5 year period following my treatment.

My diagnosis was January 5, 2012, with surgery at the end of that month.  I began chemotherapy at the end of March 2012, added radiation to that for all of April and half of May.  Chemo then continued until September 12, 2012.  Five years ago.

In the last five years, I have had my port removed, dozens of blood tests, CT scans and MRIs; five PET scans; 2 bone scans; a ton of x-rays and a lot of doctor's visits.  The visit schedule after successful chemo is sort of a reverse pyramid scheme.  Every 3 months for 2 years, every 4 months for a year, every 6 months for 2 years until you are finally at five years.

Five years is coming up a lot in this post so far, huh?  I guess this number is a really big deal.  Statistically, they tell me that after five years the chance of recurrence is miniscule.  The skeptic in me says the chance of it occurring in the first place was miniscule.  I mean, I like to be special, but being 1 of 25 adults in a year to get the disease in the US - I would've been okay without being that special.  Yes, - that is 1 of 25 adults.  Not 25,000 or 250 even.  25.  Crazy right - and you know me!  Aren't you lucky.

Anyway, I'm rambling - I'll end here.  I'm including a somewhat current family pic since I'm so delinquent.  I'm also going to figure out over Thanksgiving break how to update the other pics on the site.  Send some comments or let me know you're out there.