all's well that ends well?

Yesterday I went to follow up on the nonocclusive thrombus (and by the way - doesn't thrombus sound like the name of the brooms from Harry Potter?). According to the ultrasound technician I have excellent blood flow - and in fact she said: "If everyone's veins were this great it would make my day" (yes, she said I could quote her). So I guess I'm still perfect on the inside as far as any machines can tell. I am not sure how soon it will sink in that I'm over a big hump. Getting the "all clear" for cancer at the 2-year mark was a bit muddled with the news of the thrombus - you know, the one that wasn't even there.

Also, the irony was not lost on me that I am one of the team captains for Deloitte's Heart Walk. As I was sitting in the waiting room yesterday to get my ultrasound, I missed an update call for team leads before the walk this weekend. I was weighing the importance getting donations to help fund technology and education to do stroke and heart disease research as I was waiting to go into a room where I was examined by an Intern using said equipment.  The really funny part is that when I was asked to take on the heart walk role I didn't really feel like it was "my cause". Sure I knew people who had been affected; but I didn't have a deep personal need to raise money.  In a matter of a few weeks that all changed as I spent this whole weekend stressing that I could have a blood clot that would lodge itself in some critical place in my body and kill me. Darn it.

So - even though I had no intention of trying hard to raise money... if you want to donate to the Heart Walk that I'm doing this weekend you can:

http://pugetsoundheartwalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1001672&lis=1&kntae1001672=8D5D3E0AD91A4948971A565DBF2E6168&supId=49265494

can't we just move on?

It's been two years and a few days since my last radiation treatment.  It feels like both a blink of an eye and eons at the same time. I have made many new friends in the last two years. People who never knew me B.C. and many who probably don't even know about it.

I mentioned a while back that my insurance company had denied my CAT scan at 18 months post treatment.  About a week ago I went back to the doctor and we discussed how I have been feeling and went through a very detailed review of any possible symptoms. Turns out that seems to have done the trick because the insurance company quickly pre-approved a CAT scan. I went in for the scan on Friday Oct 12th. I then had to wait, and wait, and wait. I called the doctor's office around 1pm - because by then they were supposed to have received a copy of the report from the scan. There was good news and bad news. OF  COURSE there was good news and bad news. The good news is that there is NO SIGN OF CANCER! WOOO-HOOO!

The bad news is that there is a little something that concerns them... A nonocclusive thrombus at the confluence of the left subclavian and internal jugular veins. Yeah - and if you actually know what that means and what I should do about it, please tell me. Although I'm not convinced that it's actually anything to worry about yet. I am going to get an ultrasound later this afternoon. More to come...