First Recurrence Scan

I wanted to have all of my medical appointments wrapped up before December – ha, wrapped, get it? – but I couldn't quite pull it off.  Last week, I had my final radiation follow-up.  My radiologist said my skin looked phenomenal for 7 weeks out, so I guess "skin nectar" is worth the hefty price tag.  I also had my pre-op CT angiogram to look at the blood vessels in my abdomen.  (I had to reschedule twice due to insurance preauthorization issues.)  And at the same time, I had my first CT scan to check for recurrence.  "No, I'm not nervous!  I always tap my foot like this.  I'm cool as a cucumber."  Or at least I was until the nurse called to tell me that my oncologist had reviewed my scans and wanted to diagnose a few lymph nodes via ultrasound, including one in my left armpit.  They made me wait a week for the ultrasound because waiting is fun.  "No, I'm not stressed!  What do you mean, where did all the gingerbread cookies go?  How should I know?"

My ultrasound was scheduled for yesterday morning, but I drove to the wrong imaging location and had to drive all the way across town to get to the right place.  I managed to hit every single red light.  "No, I'm not sweating!  I must've spilled my water or something."  The receptionist took pity on me and squeezed me in.  After the ultrasound, I had to sit in the dark little room and wait for the doctor to come in and tell me my fate.  "No, I'm not panicking!  I mean, last time it was devastating news that upended my life, but this time I'm sure I'll be fine."  When the doctor finally came in and said, "Benign scar tissue," I got dressed in 3 seconds and literally sprinted out the door. "No, I wasn't scared!  You were scared!  Have some faith, people!"

With that out of the way, I can enjoy a holiday season free of medical appointments.  Yay!