The last 10 days have been quite busy. Some good, some bad, some less than ideal. It might be a long one, so buckle up, buttercups. This post is going to be more loaded than a baked potato.

So, way back on 10/10, Caleb and I were back in Houston again for a scan. After spending the afternoon at the zoo, we readied ourselves for a long evening in the CT waiting room. Note to self: do not schedule a scan at dinnertime. We spent almost 4 hours in uncomfortable chairs. Thankfully, the next morning, we met with Dr. Ravi’s PA who told us the scan was clear! We also asked about the Signatera test (it measures tumor DNA circulating in the blood) that was done in July. She informed us that it was also negative! This was huge for us because, although the CT report always says “no sign of metastatic disease,” it also notes various nodules and things that need to be monitored. My lungs and liver both have nodules. The one in my liver has even been called a hemangioma; this wouldn’t normally be scary except my cancer was originally misdiagnosed as a hemangioma. So, knowing that tumor DNA can’t be detected lends us greater peace of mind as I continue to fight this thing.

We headed home that evening with a pocketful of good news. However, I also seemed to bring home a clot. When attempting to flush the PICC line in my arm, we noticed that it seemed to be blocked. Not a good sign. I was able to get into to see one of the nurses at my local oncologist’s office. She determined that a declotting procedure wasn’t possible as the line appeared to be completely blocked. An ultrasound was ordered and an appointment to remove the line was made (after several phone calls). The ultrasound was performed on 10/16 and showed there was indeed a clot at the end of the line. I drove myself to a nearby hospital that afternoon and had the line removed.

Now, the good news here is that I can shower without my trusty plastic sleeve. And I can swim. Just in time for winter! The bad news is that I now must take a blood thinner for three months to prevent another clot from forming. The other bad news is that a port will be placed in its stead. I’m not thrilled about it but I’m even less thrilled with the damage my veins could sustain if I choose not to get the port.

If that wasn’t enough, I had to put my cat to sleep the next morning. She had been losing weight and it was discovered a month ago that she had a nodule on her thyroid. I had been treating her with medication to hopefully slow down the weight loss and voracious appetite. Instead, she was worsening and her health really seemed to plummet last week. The vet said that many older cats also develop kidney disease and that the hyperthyroidism was masking it. Ultimately, her kidneys were failing and it was time. So, Thursday we said goodbye to Delilah after having her for fifteen years. It was definitely hardest on me; we shared a pillow at night, after all. But it was also hard on the kids and led to A LOT of discussion and questions about death. One of those questions was, “Will you go to Heaven to be with Delilah soon?” I should have seen it coming but I was not prepared.

Thankfully, we were able to go on one last camping trip for the year this weekend. The weather was beautiful and the trip was just what we needed. Those hard questions are a lot easier to answer when you’re surrounded by nature and your family.

So, this morning, I am preparing for the minor surgery to place the port. It’s not how I wanted to start my week but I’m hoping it ends better. Cycle 5 of chemo also begins this week. I only have 4 more infusion days left! After these last two cycles, I will head back to Houston for another scan as well as a plan for the next chemo regimen. I’m not sure how I’m going to celebrate the end of the GemTax but I can’t wait to figure it out!

Wish me luck today! And I hope y’all have a good start to your week. Don’t let Monday get you down.