Good News..!

Hi All,
Apologies again for my lack of updates.

Busy week - had chemo (session 7) on Tuesday, same as always, took all day and very dull. You've read it all before, so no going to repeat it again!

On Monday I had to have a PET (Positron Emission Topography) scan. This was to assess progress at the mid-way point of my planned chemo treatment, and would be compared to the same scan I had at the outset of my diagnosis.

Prior to the scan you are given a valium tablet (!) to relax you, and then injected with some radioactive 'tracer' so the scanner can 'read' your cells properly (or something like that...). Combined with the chemo on Tuesday, my body must be something of a toxic dump this week...

Anyway, the scanning centre were excellent in getting my results through the next day, so I could see my consultant on Tuesday afternoon, after chemo was done. I hate waiting weeks...

Well, it was good news - the scan showed I have had an excellent response to the ABVD chemotherapy treatment, so much so that the words 'complete remission' were included in the report! Not over yet (as ensuring the cancer doesn't return is as a important as removing it), but, very pleasing news. The scheduled chemo (12 sessions total - I've had 7 so far) at present is still planned to continue, which means another 10 weeks - last session should be 15th August. After that, there will likely be another PET scan and/or CT scan to review everything, at which point I can hopefully stop filling my body with all these chemicals and start getting fit again!

Anyway, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the World Cup starts today!

Livestrong
John
P.S. Picture of my shaved head coming soon!)