Grateful for God's Gifts

Monday, November 18, was the big scan day. PET scans and brain MRI - those are the big guns. They see everything in 3D & color, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. Amazing, really, but they make me oh so nervous for all the little things that could be lurking under the skin and inside the tissues. Lindsey patiently sat in the waiting room for almost three hours while I had the PET, and then Dean arrived to sit through the next three hours, as we waited for the MRI appointment and actually had the scan. When I finally emerged, he was all alone in the waiting room (everyone else had gone home by then) and admitted that he probably fell asleep & snored. I had the worst rumbly tummy from drinking the contrast while fasting, which only added to my anxiety level. Tuesday, November 19, Lindsey and I were back at Dr. Grossmann's office for the results, knowing that Dr. G was out of the office and we would be seeing his assistant, Carolyn, and nurse Karen. Even though I had great faith in the fasting and prayers that had been offered so unselfishly by many good souls, I was nervous and imagined the worst, just to steel myself for bad news. But, God is more powerful than any tumor or any doubt. He will never leave me alone. He will never forsake me. The news was the best EVER. Nothing new on the scans. Existing tumors are shrinking - the groin tumor is half as big as on the last PET scan. The little tumor on the inside of my left knee is so small that it didn't even show "hot", which means that it is "well-behaved." Good job, you little stinker! Nothing shows up in the liver. A little spot below my collarbone that has shown up on several of my latest scans has disappeared. A tiny spot that was being watched on my right leg has disappeared. Brain is "perfect". Even my low blood counts have gone up a bit, which is very encouraging. I have an appointment with a hematologist specialist to see if we can get my blood counts as normal as possible, just in case I need to qualify for a trial down the road, but those appointments will be CAKE, comparatively-speaking. Next scans are scheduled for the middle of February! Doesn't that sound wonderful? While I was in the dressing room/waiting room for the MRI, a man came out of his dressing room to wait, too. He started to talk to me and asked, if I wanted to tell him, what I was having an MRI for. I told him I have Stage 4 melanoma. He said his sister-in-law has melanoma and that it started with a small tumor in her neck, just like mine did. She, too, had been through several surgeries, radiation, and chemo, but continued to do well. Then, he told me that she was first diagnosed "seven or eight years ago"! My heart was full! There was hope. If I can do this well and keep fighting for the next four years - and beyond - I will be eternally grateful. That is what I pray for: more and more and more time... I just cannot express my thanks enough. There are no words to tell how grateful I feel for God's gifts. He has blessed me abundantly and given me renewed hope and faith in miracles. The faith of those who pray for me, who fast for me, who think positive thoughts for me have all added to the blessings poured down on me and my family. I am filled with thanksgiving. These are the best gifts of all. Praise God. Hallelujah... Happy 9 years today, Chelsea & Rob! I love you!