I’ll try to bracket this with good things, so here’s some good: surgery was last Wednesday and it went really well! No complications, seemingly didn’t say anything too crazy post-anesthesia, and a week later I’ve still had almost no pain at all! I have to remind myself to not use my left arm too much, because it just feels normal on that side. The chest binder I’m wearing 24/7 isn’t great, but it’s doing its job and that’s what matters. Oh also my pee was blue for a day! That was awesome.
Two days after surgery, I had to put my cat to sleep. She was 16, her kidneys were done, and it was absolutely the right call…but heck I miss her. I’ve been having cat dreams every night.
Surgery pathology came in Monday afternoon, and there was one great part: clean margins! The surgeon got it all out and I don’t need any more surgery. However, there was residual cancer in the tumor, which pretty much guarantees more chemo – from prior conversations with my oncologist, likely 14 rounds of a drug that has similar side effects as the TCHP regimen I was on for 6 rounds. And despite every scan and test along the way indicating that my lymph nodes looked normal, one of the three nodes they took out had a chunk of cancer in it with extranodal extension – which basically guarantees extra radiation, and reinforces the call for extra chemo. Not the good news we wanted from pathology.
So now they want me to do chest/abdomen/pelvis CT scans as well as a full body bone scan, just in case these pesky cancer cells traveled around and set up camp somewhere else. My surgeon said with only one of the three nodes being positive, it’s unlikely that these scans will find anything, but now that’s what I’ll be doing for 4 hours next Wednesday. I’ve already hit my out of pocket max with my insurance, so sure. Let’s do all the things!
Speaking of finances: I’m newly addicted to a local sandwich shop called Timmy T’s! (I always say it with an exclamation point. Timmy T’s!) I ordered from there 3 times in 5 days. Their Goodfella sandwich is crazy good – Jordan even switched over to it and agreed that it’s bomb. I should probably just get a job there.
More good news – Jordan came home last night with a “colossal” slice of s’mores cake for me and it’s wonderful. And more more good news: Jacky and Ben and Calvin and Theo and my mom fly in Friday! Jax and fam are coming for a quick long weekend, and it’s gonna be delightful.
If you haven’t yet, you should see Project Hail Mary while it’s out. It’s great.
Welp 
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