Short, sweet, and glorious!

My surgeon called about two hours ago with the most wonderful news: All 21 lymph nodes removed during surgery and sent to the lab for analysis have come back CLEAR! This means that the cancer has NOT SPREAD!!! I can hear the shouts of joy in each and every email I've received in the last hour - and the tears on my mother's face alone were just priceless.

I woke up this morning and thought "Hmm...guess we'll find something out today" and then I thought "wonder if I should worry?". My anxiety skipped up just a tiny beat, but I thought of God, and all He has done, and how much I have relied on Him up to this point, and realized that it was useless to be fearful. I have felt so calm all day long, and when Dr. Connaughton said "everything is clear" my initial response was "well, of course it is". I did manage to drum up a bit more excitement than that - as you can well imagine - and I called Mike immmediately with the good news.

The kids have pumped their fists and jumped in the air, and we are now ready to move on. Dr. C will report my pathology results to the tumor board, and further recommendations will be made as to whether or not chemo is in the future. He feels (and I convenientely agree) that it is not - but the final determination is up to my oncologist. I've done it before, and I can do it again (although I'll probably pout and stomp my feet quite a bit for dramatic effect) - but it certainly doesn't seem warranted at this point. Then again, my medical degree hasn't come in the mail yet, so what do I know?

My thanks to all of you - What a wonderful THANKSGIVING it will be!!