I received good news from my doctor on Tuesday. I had a CT scan on Monday and it revealed that the cancer has not spread elsewhere. The new lesions which came earlier in the month have mostly “resolved themselves.” Dr. McCarrren reminded me that this is the nature of the disease (some lesions come and go), but it could be also the Methotrexate drug (which I am still taking) that is working. However, the other two lesions are growing, and I still will be doing a full round of chemo. It will be the same type of chemo that I did the first time, which depleted my white blood cells, resulting in an infection. This time I will take an additional drug to boost the white blood cells. I will begin chemo within two weeks, and will need 6 treatments every three weeks.
It is a year ago today that I had the first chemo treatment. St. Ignatius promoted repetition in prayer, but I do not think he had this in mind. I feel that I am reliving last fall in some ways, with some of the same emotions and even fears, but also the addition of dread as I have been through it. Yet, I feel much relieved after the visit with the doctor, and have set aside more books to read while I undergo the treatments. The dread is mostly gone. I am much more ready to begin again. I am sure that it will also be a spiritual journey, so there will be something from Ignatius’ wisdom to be gained as well. The journey continues.
This Saturday we have our annual fundraiser, the Organic Harvest Feast, at which I will be receiving an award. Eleven of my family (including my mother) as well as two friends from Ottawa will be attending. I am looking forward to the celebration.
The weather has shifted, and it is beginning to look and feel much more like fall. As I look out my window, someone is in their community garden plot harvesting the summer’s work. It has been such a poor growing season here – probably the worst ever – and yet the land, with the co-operation of humans, has still produced something. This is what we celebrate at our Harvest Feast. I love this time of the year.