3 Weeks of Wednesdays

This Wednesday I go for a repeat full body CT scan to check on the cancer. They will compare the scan to my last one 3 months ago and compare if and how much the lymphnodes have gone down. I will be curious to find out if this lump in my abdomen is a very enlarged node or something else.
Next Wednesday I go back to the oncologist to find out the results of the scan and discuss what the next step in treatment will be. This being an incurable cancer (at this time) the next step in treatment will most likely be maintenance Rituxan treatments. That would be 1 infusion every 3 months. Or I could be put into the arm of the clinical trial that will put me on "watch and wait" or as I like to call "worry and stress". I would be scanned every 6 months and retreated with 4 weeks of weekly Rituxan infusions only if I have an increase in the cancer again. Other options will be discussed if I did not have enough of a good reaction to the initial 4 infusions of Rituxan.
The Wednesday after that...we are supposed to have settlement on the house we are selling and the house we are buying. I have been busy sorting through the 10 years of junk that we have collected in this house. You don't realize just how much stuff you can accumulate in 10 years until you get ready to move!
There is just something about Wednesdays for me...

Reasons for Hope

There are so many ups and downs in dealing with this cancer. Over the past few weeks I have felt the enlarged nodes in my head, neck and chest go down to what feels to me close to normal size. So, I was terribly surprised to find a rather large lump in my abdomen the other night. The largest one I have felt thus far. Why are they going down in one area and growing larger in another? That is not a question that I have an answer to yet.
Just as many articles can stir up fears in follicular lymphoma cancer patients of it being incurable, dying an early death, ect... I am also reading many more that are able to stir up hope. More and more treatments coming along that are giving follicular patients longer and longer response times and even remissions. Today I read of treatment with Bexxar again. Trials have been done that shows a few years of remission after treatments with Rituxan and convention chemotherapy stops working. There are many treatment options available and more and more becoming available each year. It is very good to read such articles that give hope in available treatments.

Hippo Kisses

We went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ recently and I was kissed by a hippo. A great escape from the heat and fun for the whole family. Here are a few more pictures from that day.

Relocating

It has been a hectic week. We signed contracts to sell our house and signed contracts to buy another one. A month ago we took our house off the market and decided to stay where we were and add on. What a surprise when a month later we signed contracts. I guess that shows to never give up.

We will be moving to Salem County, out to the country. It will be a big change for all of us in the family and will change the photography business somewhat. I have taken a break from the business since May while dealing with the cancer and treatments. So, I will be anxious to get back into the swing of things come September after we settle into the new house.

I will continue with the "People in my life" series as soon as I can.