Turns out denial and I are not as close as I thought. And cancer, as it turns out, is very good at being the third wheel. Cancer interrupted not just my thoughts, but my conversations as well. And when my adventurous spirit wanted to walk all over the city, cancer made sure to remind my body that it was still there. Nevertheless, I had an amazing time, even though cancer did everything in its power to control my fun.
Reality hit full force when I got back in town. Wednesday I had a Pet Scan to show more clearly where the cancer is in my body. This is a relatively easy test that involved me first becoming radioactive (seriously.) and then lying perfectly still for 45 minutes. The whole process was time consuming, but easy. Although afterwards I wasn't allowed to hang out with babies because of my radioactivity. I felt a little badass and kind of like a super hero.
The other procedure I had on Wednesday was a Bone Marrow Biopsy. And yes, it's as bad as it sounds. This test indicates whether the cancer has spread to my bones, which also helps with the staging. Basically a hollowed needle is inserted into the hip bone and then a smaller needle is inserted inside the first to remove both bone marrow fluid as well as a sample of the bone itself. Apparently my bones are made of steel. The process reminded me of this scene from Armageddon:
And just like Bruce Willis eventually succeeded in drilling through the asteroid and saving the world, my doctor eventually succeeded in getting that needle into my bone. But it was not without pain and suffering. And two days later, I still feel like I hit with an asteroid.
Today, I had an "easy day" with an Echocardiogram and Pulmonary Function Test. Both are noninvasive tests that test out my heart and lungs to make sure I don't have any preexisting conditions before I start chemo. As someone who prides myself on being able to swim an entire length of an olympic size pool without coming up for air, it does hurt my ego a bit when I don't succeed in the 100th percentile for lung capacity. Damn tumor ruining my skills.
Tomorrow I test my ability to let go of my security blanket. My hair.
Stay tuned.
YOU ARE A SUPERHERO!!!! Dont you ever forget that, and not because your Radioactive, although that is pretty fucking cool ;) but because you are the bravest person I know! Also, swimming the entire length of an olympic sized pool underwater is a super hero trait, I looked it up!
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