Happy New Year's Eve!

Happy New Year’s Eve!

 

I hope you have all survived the Christmas holidays… we only have a few more days left and then the kids are back in school, some of you return back to work and others have already gone back.  The beauty of the holidays is to enjoy the moments because vacations do end.  The responsibilities and rules and chores and demands are still there.  This merry-go-round of life doesn’t stop… it continues to go but if you’re lucky enough, you’ve figured out a way to jump on and off without doing too much damage to yourself.

 

I had an appointment with the family doctor yesterday and my stitches and stoma area are healing well.  The last of the sutures were removed.  I also picked up the hospital reports and am very pleased with the results.  The surgeon removed a total of 10 cm of my colon and sent it to biopsy. 

·         The pathology report came back stating there is minimal residual malignancy.  In layman terms, a small amount of cancer remained in the piece removed.

·         There were multiple sites of tumour cells among the tissue, but none larger than 1 mm each.

·         There was significant necrosis (dead and damaged tissue) due to the original tumour mass and chemotherapy.

·         10 lymph nodes were identified in the colon portion they removed:  one lymph node positive for minimal residual metastatic adenocarcinoma; five lymph nodes showing necrosis (dead tissue) and no residual metastatic adenocarcinoma; and four benign lymph nodes, negative for metastasis. 

 

All in all, I’d say this was a pretty good report card.  I will continue to stay positive and believe that the rest of my body is also in good standing regarding the remaining sites.  I have a CT Scan booked forJanuary 2^nd, and I suspect that I will pick up the results within the week of that date.  My appointment with the Oncologist isn’t scheduled until January 19^th.  At that time, we will review the CT scan results and my bloodwork and this will determine whether or not I go back to chemo.  In speaking with the surgeon and my family doctor, both stressed very strongly that chemo will need to continue.  I am just hoping to hold off on it for a little while longer.  The surgery was a success but my recovery wasn’t as great as it could have been.  There was nothing that I did wrong… it was just luck of the cards.  When my bowels seized and wouldn’t function it was devastating; but they are working now… slowly.  I still have rough days and pain management and constipation are my nemesis.  I’d also like to put on a few more permanent pounds to sustain me.  I left the hospital weighing in at 128 lbs.  If I could hold off on chemo for another few months, I’d like to be able to meet it full on with all my faculties about me (my physical and my mental… nothing wrong with my spiritual).

 

It’s New Year’s Eve, and to me, it’s the night to reflect on everything that has happened during the year… to review it and to remember and be thankful for all the goodness, the gifts, the blessings, and yes… the not so great times too.  To give yourself praise on all you have accomplished and done.  I hear lots of people saying “out with the old, and in with the new!” or “I cannot wait to say goodbye to 2014”.  Please do say goodbye, but do so with the kindness and love, not anger or regret.  Without the bad times, we can’t learn our lessons, appreciate our lives as we should and those around us.  So many things we take for granted.  I am thankful for so much… even in my darkest moments I am astounded at how blessed I am.  Thank you everyone… forever and sincerely.

 

A tradition at Christmas for me is to watch the movie “White Christmas” and on the last day of the year (or the first day of the year, while the household is slow to wake) I like to watch the movie “New Year’s Eve”.  There’s a quote at the end of the movie that I like. 

"Sometimes it feels like there are so many things we can't control, earthquakes, war, famine. But it's important to remember the things we can control, like love and forgiveness. That’s what New Year’s Eve is really about: love, and hope..."

 

Here’s hoping your New Year 2015 is filled with goodness, love, laughter, peace, happiness and an abundance of health! 

 

Love, Angela xox