Scan #1 Results are in!

Um.

HOLY FREAKING MOLEY!

Good news, friends. My oncologist called my house late tonight (rather than making me wait 'til Thurs a.m.) to let me know that the scan results were very good. In just 4 chemo sessions (and only 2 of those included the tumor-slaughtering drug, Avastan), my tumors have already SHRUNK OVER 50%!! In just four sessions!

Put another way: The two tumors didn't stay the same size, nor did they just shrink ever-so-slightly, nor, God forbid, did they grow. They are more than halfway gone. Not to brag.

Truly, my doctor tends not to overreact or over-promise, but he very enthusiastically called this progress, "Terrific!"

I freaked out and started jumping up and down really, really high, and I couldn't stop. I am sure my doc could hear the odd grunting noise from my efforts, though he didn't say anything. Then, mid-jump, I told him that I loved him.

Then I called my parents, in-laws, brother, and sister. Then I had to put the kids to bed. Then Neil and I sat on our front porch swing and stared at the lake, and I listened to the wind blowing through the trees (my favorite sound) and the rain as it pitter-pattered on our roof. (Good Lord. The writing. This is an English major on drugs. Any questions?) And for a few minutes, I squinted my eyes a little and pretended I was at Tupper Lake, and it made me even happier. And I just kept on thinking, "GOD, I love being alive."

Not out of the woods, of course, but getting closer and feeling more hope than ever.

Thanks so much for all the thoughts, prayers, and general Shelly Power. It's been helping me get better. And now we have proof of that.