Day 101 Dallas's Gift

I have a secret.  Silently, I have been incubating and nurturing it until it becomes strong enough to survive as a real truth.  All of my hopes have been pinned on it but I have had to allow it to become vivid before sharing it.  I have to believe it myself.

A little over a week ago I received the results of my PET scan, bone density, and complete biochemical screening.  My oncologist grinned like a boy as he told me that my bone density was that of a 20-30 year old, and with the exception of an elevated FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone, which rises when you begin to slow in ovulation) my body's measured biochemistry is that of a young adult.  Most importantly, my PET scan could not detect a single cell of cancer anywhere in my body.

I am as young as I feel and I am cancer free.  I will not have to have chemotherapy or radiation, only 5 years of Tamoxifen.  My husband and I pumped our fists and yelled: "Yes."   He told us we did everything right and that we were helped in that by educating ourselves and making educated decisions.  For sure, none of this would have been possible if I hadn't been hit in the chest by Dallas, a mammogram alone wouldn't have detected my carcinoma until it was much bigger, possibly stage 3.  He told us that our choice of surgeons, treatments, tests and attitude delivered me to him wrapped up with a ribbon; a survivor.

With a 3-5% chance of reoccurrance, odds are I will live to be an old woman with a great story about how a horse saved my life.

I still can't believe it.