Great scan #2 results

First:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NEIL!! 37 TODAY! You are endlessly patient with me, and I did not so much as get you a card today. Talk about a self-centered wife. ("My cancer this! My cancer that!") But you still came with me to chemo and brought me blankets and juice and a burrito and you sat with me happily while I took a three-hour nap. You rule. I love you.

So below is my humble gift to you. I worked extra hard on it. Blood, sweat, toxins and tears:

MY RESULTS:
**My tumors have reduced in size over 50% again! They are now tiny. Just millimeters long.**

My doctor repeatedly said this is "fabulous news" and we have "reason to celebrate". He also told me on a scale of one to ten, these results are a "10". He never sugarcoats news, either, so he means it. Believe me, I tried to read his face for a trace of falsehood, but I get the feeling he's not in the business where you lie to patients.

I asked him to compare my results with others in my boat. He said that if you took 100 people who have the same situation as me and compared our test results, my results today would probably put me with the top one or two.

Greedily, I asked him if he was surprised the tumors weren't completely gone. He said that would have been exceptionally rare. But he also said that the results I'm having are consistent with the results he sees in a person who gets well again. (This bit of news makes me stop breathing when I think about it. I almost can't bear to think it could be so good again. My heart will explode.)

I am completely aware how incredibly, incredibly lucky I am. Most people who have my diagnosis do not respond this well. I don't know why I am the lucky one (age? overall health? just dumb luck?) but I'm beyond grateful to be going down this road now. I also know that NOTHING is certain and I have to keep fighting, so this thing doesn't dare come back. I have some work ahead of me still.

My next scan is in two more months. Late June. Assuming it's GONE by then, I still will have two more months of chemo after that. So any way we slice it, I'll be in chemo through August. Not my favorite thing to think about, to put it mildly, but with great results like I'm having, I'll take it.

I'm really tired today, having just gotten chemo (which is getting a little harder each time. I've now had 9 of them), but I wanted to pass along the GOOD news, and I'll chat with you all soon. Feel free to call, but if I don't answer, I might be snoring in the couch. It doesn't mean I don't love you.

A big thanks to everyone-- you included-- for caring about me. It means the world to me to feel supported. I wonder if I would be doing this well if I were alone. I kind of doubt it.

Here's your free pass to party tonight. Do it for me! I would join you if I could. And I promise I will in September.