officially cancer-free!!!
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- Created on Thursday, 22 January 2009 10:34
- Written by Erik
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I got the results back from the tests and I’m now officially cancer-free. No lesions on the MRI; nothing in my lungs. “No problems,” said Dr. Hong; “It loks pretty good,” said Dr. Ding. It’s over, it’s behind me. I had cancer, but now I don’t. I’m a cancer survivor, with the horrible condition in my past and not in my present. You have no idea how great it is to write these words.
Yes, it could come back. But I’ll be doing check-ups every three months from now on. “We treated such an extensive area,” said Dr. Hong, “and we want to make sure you’re OK.” Not only am I cancer-free, but I’m better monitored than next-to every other normal person.
Yes, there are still side-effects of the treatment — I can’t really eat and I can’t really sleep — but who cares about side-effects? I love side-effects! They are so much better than the primary effects.
Coming back home to tell my kids was one of the best moments in my life. “Pappa has no cancer!” “Great, great, great.” Hugs and kisses all around. The girls have worried so much.
I have a long Oscar-style list of people I want to thank, but let me be brief. Without Diane, my wife, I wouldn’t have made it; and not without Mei-hong and my other colleagues at work, and not without you, dear blog reader. You cheered me up and gave me invaluable advice when things were at their bleakest. I’m eternally grateful.
But of course I think about the people I met in the queues to my doctors, the fellow unfortunates in the radiation room, in the chemo-therapy center. Some of them were old, but some were far too young. Some of them, like me, will make it, but some of them won’t. It’s not fair. I feel guilty, like all survivors.
And one more thing: if you smoke, please stop. Stop immediately. And don’t engage in other stupid, cancer-producing, activities. I don’t want to read your cancer blog in a year’s time. Writing a cancer blog is great, but not writing a cancer blog is infinitely better.
love to all,
Erik