Always learning.

I asked the oncologist when I saw him two weeks ago, Who tells me when I can get the port out of my arm and What follow-up tests do you do to make sure we got all the cancer? (When the port was put in, I was told it would come out after they did tests, after radiation, to make sure they didn't need to do more chemo.)

Dr M answered that I was in the care of the radiologist. He would order any follow up tests and he would tell me when to call the surgeon to have the port removed. And he handed me a script for Arimidex, told me to start taking this when I am done with radiation. And he wanted to see me in April, four months.

So I asked the radiologist Monday (I meet with him after treatment every Monday) what tests was he planning to do to make sure all is finished, and when could I get the port removal scheduled for? His response, Dr M tells you when to take out the port, we have never used it, it isn't anything to do with us. (Makes sense to me) And Dr M would order any tests to make sure the chemo and radiation have done their jobs. (Makes sense to me)

So I call Dr M. His assistant calls back (it is never him, always the assistant, which I can understand.) She says to schedule the port removal for anytime after radiation is finished, and Dr M doesn't think I need any further tests scheduled. He says, statistically the chemo destroyed any cancer cells that would have spread. And the radiation has destroyed any cancer cells left in the breast or node area. Further tests would show nothing. Makes sense to me.

I called the surgeon's office, they need written permission from Dr M to remove the port, he ordered it. Makes sense to me.

A ping pong ball.

I feel like a ping pong ball.

Great for confidence building in your medical army; no one wants to take responsibility for the follow up.

But it does make sense. What could possibly be left in my body after all this?

It makes intellectual sense, What about my emotional But What Ifs?

So what am I learning? To not worry. Not be anxious.

Leave this up to God, He does the best scans ever.

Lift this up to God, release it like a dove flying out of my hand.

With prayer and thanksgiving.

With thanks that I am here right now and He loves me and is guiding me down the path.

For the rest of my life I will be hearing of someone who does PET scans every year, gets MRI's every six months. I will feel a bump on my shin or get tired for two days straight and I will think - tumor on my bone or leukemia. I will hear of someone dying of cancer, and not want to think about it.

Be grateful.

Have faith this worked. That I am healed. That this was God's path, He directed it all.

Faith is knowing something when your senses don't perceive it.

Have faith sister.

PS Cartoon has no relevance to story, but it is funny!