The fog starts to lift

When the fog lifts, it’s like a second morning.

Today’s status: Very good! The preliminary PET scan results showed that though lymphoma was present in several places in my body, there are not any places that appear any brighter than the spot that was biopsied a few weeks ago. That means that I don’t have to worry that I’m carrying some other really bad stuff around inside me (hallelujah!) It also means that we can move ahead with treatment soon. I have two more appointments early next week, and when those are done, we should have a clear path forward.

PET/CT scans are interesting things. There are two parts. The CT (computed tomography) scan takes a 3D image of my body from my eyes down to mid-thigh using x-rays. Before the test, I sat in a recliner and drank a few paper cups full of white milky liquid designed to “paint” my gastrointestinal tract so it showed up clearly on the CT scan. The second part is the PET (positron emission tomography) scan which happens at the same time as the CT scan. To prepare for this test, I received a shot of glucose containing radioactive tracers. Then I sat still in the recliner for forty-five minutes. The tracers were carried by the bloodstream to the areas of highest metabolic activity, which in my resting state would include the tumors.

After resting, I climbed onto the movable couch that slides into the PET/CT scan machine. With a bolster under my knees and my arms stretched over my head, I laid still for thirty minutes.  An hour later, my doctor called me with the preliminary results. There was no ticking time bomb or large masses to be found. There were plenty of places that lit up, and these would account for my fatigue, shortness of breath and digestive issues, but nothing that eclipsed the previously-biopsied tumor. What a relief!

Since then, I’m pacing myself until treatment can begin. I move when I can and then rest. My mood is much improved now that we have a much clearer and less ominous view of what’s going on inside of me. My confidence is high. And I thank God multiple times a day for my many blessings of my friends, family, and the beautiful world we all live in.