Year 2 Update

I guess I should first start this post by apologizing for the delay in an update.  As the old adage goes, no news is good news, and consequently I got busy with life and all things work and kid related! 

This summer I started a new position as the principal of St. Matthew Elementary which has kept me very busy learning the ropes of new grade levels and a new building.  Amidst the learning, it has been great getting to know an amazing staff and meeting all the wonderful students and families.  Days 1-3 have been outstanding; I look forward to many memories in the days, weeks and months ahead.

 

The kids are doing well, busy as ever.  With the start of the 2018-2019 school year, I am now the proud mom of a 6^th grader at Regis, Braylen, a 1^st grader at St. Pius, Kellen, and a 3-year-old preschooler with me at St. Matthew, Meyer.  We are busy with all things sports related; Kellen is playing flag football and baseball this fall and Braylen is playing softball.  In addition to this craziness, we hope to make some of the Iowa Hawkeye football games.  We had a great summer and are looking forward to an awesome year ahead.

Then comes the white elephant in the room, my health status update.  August 5, 2018 marked the two-year anniversary of my initial diagnosis.  Just writing that seems hard to believe, while I sometimes feels like just yesterday, other days I feel like this battle has been a part of my life for a very long time.

Today was my 2-year check-up and routine 6-month visit to Mayo; this visit included the bi-annual scan in addition to the regular doctor’s visit and bone hardener.  After having the scan yesterday and having to wait a painful 19 hours, I was ready for the results. The results: NO CANCER, NONE!  Such clarity and confidence in this that I didn’t even see my scans – there was nothing to show me!  So here we are 2 years into this journey, of which 1+ years there have been no signs of cancer.  

Where do we go from here?  The interesting thing is that while we are all on our own journey, I seem to be walking in uncharted territory according to my doctor.  It appears that a small percentage of people have immediate results and furthermore have sustained them; good news, keep doing what I am doing and thanks to great medicines, faith and being active that have also helped.  We will continue the scans every 6 months for the next year, should the results continue (which Dr. Goetz expects to be true) the scans will be moved to every 9 months at year 3.

I am especially thankful to all of you for your thoughts and prayers and more importantly for following my journey.  I am working on trying to post more frequently but will be sure to provide an update in February with the next trip north!