House updates

We've broken ground! Our address will be 200 Colton Drive, North Liberty. Contract says we should be in by Dec 16th- what a great early Christmas present.

Other than that, I am feeling good. I had a big scare when I noticed new pains around my incision sites and in my ribs on that side. Went to the Radiation Oncologist and she said that it didn't feel like a new recurrence. A new recurrence should hurt with deep breaths and these do not. So with that vote of confidence I've gotten hopeful once again for a normal life. Every good day, I get hopeful for "a cure", and then I get all excited about the prospect of another baby. I then have to remind myself just to be thankful, and not push it. This cycle repeats itself every few days.

And in reality I could stop my treatments when ever I wanted and try to conceive. But the issue would be that if my cancer started growing again or spread to more sites, I would not be able to receive chemo while pregnant. In addition, whole body imaging to monitor for cancer growth is dangerous to the unborn baby- it is a large dose of radiation. While I was in the hospital for my cellulitis infection- the nurse told me of a patient whose cancer recurred while pregnant, she refused chemo- as it would kill the baby. And although she was able to bring the baby to term, her brain was so full of metastases by that time that she died within a few weeks of her C-section. Obviously, I would hate to abort a child but not being there for Parker and Patrick would be worse. So I think I will avoid ever having to make that decision.

But at least we have options, perhaps we could adopt or use a surrogate. Of course all this depends on whether I can get to "no evidence of disease" (NED) stage, or in my doctor's words, a homerun. So one thing at a time and one day at a time. But in the meantime, I still plan to dream of a totally normal life.

Also just celebrated (if you can say that) my 1 year caniversary of the original diagnosis. What a hellish year- grandma dies, mother dies, dx cancer, cancer recurs before treatment even ends. I like to think that no year could ever be worse that this one, so I must have some good years ahead. :)