Today at 8am I’m having the third PET scan since I got the all-clear in September 2009 after my last chemo finished that summer. Will my luck hold? Will I be okay?
I’m always nervous, if not downright terrified, just before a scan (scanxiety!) but this time was only given two day’s notice, so at least that cut down on the usual anxiety build-up period. Just two nights of lost sleep rather than a week or so. But the really extra anxiety-making thing is that this time I have to go all on my own. Nog has a class and I couldn’t find anyone else to come with me. We’re talking about six hours of scary hospital time with nobody else to talk to.
By the time most of you read this I’ll probably be either in the machine or still at the hospital awaiting the results. I’m really lucky that I don’t have to wait a month after the test for results as my nuclear medicine Team always tell me straight away. The scary thing about that is – if they do find more cancer – they will probably insist I start chemo next week, which would really bugger up my moving plans, as well as the two tapas tours I have booked the first week in February. Of course the even scarier thing would be them telling me that chemo is no longer an option…
Hope I’m back with good news later on!
I know you’re all rooting for me, and that helps.
casa azahar 
Fingers crossed!
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Fingers, toes and eyes crossed, Az.
I had a big tumor removed Tuesday and am home from the hospital now. It was benign, but aggressive so it may be back. But benign! I do not have the intestinal fortitude that you possess.
Good Luck – Wish I could have been there to sit with you, Bob was a brick this time.
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I will be thinking of you, and will keep every available appendage crossed.
Sorry I can’t be there, either. 6 hours sounds like an agonizingly long time. Can you be online, at least, for at least some of that?
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Sending good thoughts your way š
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Thanks guys. I didn’t expect to have time to get online before I left for the hospital, but of course I’ve been awake since 5… should at least help the muscle relaxant do its job. Maybe I’ll even doze off in the machine.
The scan should be finished by about 9.30 or 10.00. Then I get to go for breakfast while they check the first results and, if it’s like all the other times, they send me in for a second, quicker scan after that. And THEN it’s the awful wait to hear the verdict.
Just charged up my iPhone, so yeah, will be online. Going to take a Pratchett book with me too.
Gotta run and catch a taxi now!
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I’m keeping my fingers, toes and eyes all crossed for you, az!
Do my an itsy little favor, though — cross *your* fingers, et al, for Rocket…he’s been a little listless and sneezy; I’m looking for a vet I can afford, so he can be checked out.
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Azar just went through that. I put him on a broad-spectrum antibiotic for five days and made sure he ate (ie force-feeding). He is now running around like a kitten.
I’d only do the antibiotics if the sneezing lasted for more than 2-3 days. But meanwhile, make sure Rocket eats.
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Buena suerte, azahar!!!
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I’ll add arms and legs to the fingers, toes and eyes.
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Fingers, toes, eyes, arms, legs, and I’ll try to get my neighbours cross as well. Now now, where did I put my Extra-Loud Loudspeakers?
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Got everything crossed for you too.
Much love
xx
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You’re no doubt well into the agonising wait period now. I hope it doesn’t last much longer, and I have everything crossed as well.
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I’ll be checking back for updates all day, amiga. Strong thoughts. š
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What a day! So, I’m back at home and those of you who’ve been following my tweets already know… I’m okay!!!
It was quite a morning. First of all getting into a taxi at 7.30am, while it was still dark, and driving off into the “unknown”. ALONE. Though my first comfort was seeing Pilar when I arrived at the hospital, who hugged me and told me I was going to be fine, and the real comfort was knowing that she was in charge of my PET that day and would give me the results immediately afterwards.
So, it was the usual routine. I got an IV for the FDG radioactive isotope, then Elisa gave me a couple of very strong tranqs – woo! After that I was left in a semi-darkened room for an hour, seated in a comfy chair with a saline drip … of course I broke the rules, tweeting and checking emails on my iPhone. And then I had the PET/CT scan, which takes about 45 minutes.
Once I got off the table and got the circulation back into my arms I checked my phone and there was a message from Pablo saying he could meet me for my “coffee break”, bless him. So we had brekky in the cafeteria while they checked my scan and I went back after about 45 minutes. And Pilar wasn’t there! So I was told to wait outside (this was when I started to get real nervous) and about ten minutes later they came out and said I could go home. Huh?
No, no, no… that’s not how it’s supposed to go. In every previous PET they have always made me go through the machine a second time, and once even a third time… so why didn’t I have to this time? And where was Pilar? Well, I was told she was in a meeting with “el jefe” (Ricardo) so I immediately texted her saying “Am I okay? They just told me to go home!” and I followed up with another text saying I was told she was in a meeting with Ricardo so I would wait for her.
Two minutes later I got two messages from Pilar. One saying “You are okay!” and the other saying I could wait if I wanted, she’d be right out. I looked at the first message again and suddenly felt like I couldn’t move, and then I started wiping away tears. But I was stuck in that chair – overwhelmed I guess – until Pilar came down the hall a few minutes later and said “let’s go!”. And when we got back to the computer room where they look at all the scans we hugged each other for an eternity. She was laughing and I was crying…
And right then Fnac called me to say that Niko my camera was ready to pick up – he’d been “in hospital” for two months! – and then I started laughing too. My lucky day, right?
So I got a taxi back to the centre, picked up Niko, met Nog to do some food shopping and we stopped off at Bodeguita Romero for a simple celebration with my “family” there. They know all about the cancer and have always been so supportive. Pedro Romero invited us for a free tapa and a drink, which led to us talking about my Sevilla Tapas blog (after I took a lovely photo of Pedro and Juan)… which led to me telling Pedro about my social media for restaurant thing, and he said he’d like to meet with me next week to talk it over in more detail. Cool!
And now I am freshly showered and, after having washed the hospital off me, am about to meet with my new landlord to finalise the contract details. And if that goes okay I guess I’ll be moving into my new home next week. But this is my lucky day, right? The 21st – 3 x 7.
So weird that I woke up this morning feeling too afraid to feel anything. Now I’m so overwhelmed with happiness that I hardly know what to do next.
Thanks for being there with me. The Twitter response was also amazing. I didn’t feel like I was alone. But it was great that Pablo showed up, and also that my Team was there. Imagine if I now had to wait a month to find out my results!
Time to move forward, that’s for sure.
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Fantastic
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Hallelujah!
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This is wonderful news az, and good luck with the move, the place looks loverly :}
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Totally awesome, Az! So happy for you!
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Back from meeting with new landlord. He said he’s had some other calls about the apartment but said “sorry, it’s taken” – yay! So we talked through the points that Paco said I should clarify and everything is okay. Luis Felipe said he’ll have the contract drawn up on Monday, I can sign it, then move in next Friday if I want.
*deep breath*
That’s a week today! I don’t even want to think about the amount of WORK that’s going to be involved, as well as changing services (telephone, gas, water, electricity). Packing is going to be a nightmare, but I want to spend most of this weekend throwing stuff out and maybe getting the books and Nog’s room packed up. And also look into hiring a moving service. I thought about getting MariaPaz’s sons to help, and maybe some other friends, but I’d still have to hire a van and – really – pay the boys something. So perhaps better to leave it to professionals who can get it all done in 2-3 hours. Really, I’m just moving five minutes away…
Anyhow, I am making a nice dinner (spicy chicken with portabello mushrooms in creamy parmesan sauce) and am going to spend the evening relaxing at home and watching a film and otherwise relaxing and reflecting on WHAT AN AMAZINGLY AWESOME DAY it’s been. Who knows, may even open a lovely bottle of riesling that arrived in the post from Germany yesterday…
I really feel like the luckiest person in the world right now. Thanks everyone, for sticking with me, even when times were dark and I maybe wasn’t at my best. I never would have made it to here without you. *testicles*
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*testicles* back at you, Az! š
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Ha! That was especially for you! Glad you saw it. š
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Can one just yell “Balls!” from the stands? š
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One can, and then ask yourself if this actually looks like a heart to you.
ā¤
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It looks like sort of a rude ice-cream cone actually.
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What a day! Great news for everything š
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Thank… Whoever! I am so glad and doing a little happy dance here in my office (and, to be honest… with tears running down my face!). And so many good things all on the same day!
Much (relieved!) love to you and many, many, many hugs….
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Well, seems a it’s been a good day š
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Yep, the day when the words “no tienes nada” took on a whole new and wonderful meaning.
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Great news!
Am so pleased for you.
xx
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Fan-freakin’-tastic, az!! Good luck on the sorting, the packing, the moving, the un-packing, and the blissful sign of relief at the other end! You deserve it, you know…{{{{hugs}}}}
*agrees about the rude ice cream cone*
PS Rocket’s on the mend, and feeling peppier, but Missy is now sneezing! To be fair, she could afford to be off her a feed for awhile. Oy!
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Such fantastic news, Az. And what a fantastic day!
Straight after my last post I couldn’t resist following your link to Twitter (we’re not supposed to from work) so I knew you were ok, but reading your full description of the day was pretty hard as my eyes were somewhat blurred!
I’m so, so happy for you.
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Great news! Have a happy move!
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Very funny…
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Late as always, but very glad it all turned out so well. {{{}}}
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Yeah, still feeling like the luckiest person ever. It’s great making plans now and knowing I’ve got at least another six cancer-free months ahead of me.
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I’m so glad to read the “I’m OK”! Fantastic.
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