the 16,000th performance of CATSSSssscan

'Twas the eve before CAT scan
and all through the house,
not a Bryan was eating
because he had to fast 8 hours before drinking the barium sulfate suspension.

Per usual I will probably post an update after my appointment as I'm enjoying a Tuscan chicken sandwich at Panera Bread. Next Tuesday I'll meet with my oncologist for the results of the scan.

We are but a week and two days away from the two-year anniversary of my last radiation treatment, at which point I was cancer-free. I still feel normal (a quick recovery which my oncologist attributed to my age), although it's irritating not knowing what should or shouldn't be reported to my doctor. Was that cough the precursor to a lung problem, or just the beginnings of a cold? Were those freckles always there, or did I miss an area of my neck with sunblock? Does it matter that my allergies have been raging for several weeks and I've been popping Sudafed like a madman?

I can't believe two years have gone by already. At this time in 2005, I was experiencing this lovely sensation of a ripped up esophagus. I have been getting CAT scans every four months to check for new growth beyond the scar tissue that will always remain, but now I will only be scanned twice a year, I think for five years if I'm not mistaken.

As I was discussing with Justin earlier today, one of the ironies of Hodgkin's Lymphoma is that we have a "higher risk" of recurrences and secondary cancers simply because the chemo works so well: i.e., we live longer. The longer we survivors live, obviously the more chances we have to become a statistic!

Incidentally, I got a few responses to my Relay For Life blog post, including one extremely generous individual, whose donation ensured my church's team would reach the "Silver Team" level of $2,500. Thanks, everyone! Rock on.

Edited 7/17/07 to add: The CAT scan went more quickly than usual, because it only took two pokes to find a good vein. Hurrah! The technicians remembered me from the umpteen previous visits, so they immediately each took an arm and started looking at the same time.

Panera no longer has the Tuscan chicken sandwich, but they do have a delicious new Chicken Pomodoro panini. That's chicken on Sesame Semolina bread with mozzerella, basil, and Pomodoro marinara sauce, grilled in their usual panini way. Mmmmm.