One year MRI

 

After my surgery and radiation, I was monitored with MRI imaging every four months for one year. As the results remained stable, they extended the scans to every six months. Last July, I was told by my doctor that my next MRI would be in one year. It was a milestone which acknowledged that I was headed in the right direction.

In 2018 I have had a total of three seizures. I’m still on multiple medications to control the seizures, so when I had these episodes of course my mind tended to temporarily go to the worse case scenario, is something changing with the tumour? This was exasperated by the fact that I haven’t been checked in a year. A lot can happen in a year.

I have kept to my usual health routine which includes vitamins, meditation and exercise. I had to give up on my beloved ballet because I couldn’t keep up with it anymore. I didn’t have the balance and speed on my left side required to dance. I made peace with it and found a new love…..yoga. I’ve been taking a beginner yoga class since the beginning of this year. It helps strengthen and balance my body. The best part about it is that Marcus has joined as well and enjoys it as much as I do. He benefits from the stretching aspect of it which helps his sore back after a long day of heavy lifting. He enjoys it so much that he often falls asleep during the class ?. It’s time well spent together.

Another thing I have changed in the past year is that I’ve begun eating a plant based diet. I’ve always said I could never live without meat but I came across an email from Kris Carr. Kris is a cancer thriver, best selling author and motivational speaker. She made a documentry called “Crazy, Sexy Cancer” and was inspired by her story. Kris put together a twenty one day program called Crazy, Sexy You and I decided to join. I believe it came across my path for a reason and I was willing to try anything for twenty one days. The program consists of plant based meal plans (breakfast, lunch, dinner, juicing and snacks) recipes, shopping lists and joining a Facebook community with other members of the program for support. Marcus and my sister Tania decided to try it out with me and we have been eating plant based ever since.  My son on the other hand is a different story, refusing to give up steak, bacon and his favourite spicy salami. Maybe one day he’ll change his mind.

I have to say that I started eating this way for selfish reasons, for my health, but have come to find more compassion in every living creature. I can’t be the only one who gets knots in their stomach when passing a tractor trailer on the highway loaded with live cows, pigs and cramped chickens, knowing where they are headed. It makes me feel good to know that less animals are suffering and being killed because of one little change I made. At the end of the program Kris emailed all the members with the rough estimates of what can happen in twenty one days….

”Each person in the program contributed to saving the lives of 20 animals! That’s a lot of happy cows, pigs, goats, turkeys, chickens and fish! And as a group, in 21 days we saved more than 100,000 animals.

Each of you saved 495 square feet of forest that would have been turned into grazing land, most of it in the Amazon.

By refraining from 3 servings of meat per week our group saved the equivalent greenhouse gases of driving our cars more than 3 million miles.

By refraining from only 2 servings of meat during the whole program you saved more water than if you didn’t shower for a full six months. This is significant stuff!”

Nobody could have convinced me to become vegan, and I’m not trying to convince you. It happened when I was ready and open to trying it. That was one year ago and I have to say that Marcus, Tania and I feel great physically and are happy about doing our small part in making this world a better place.

The most use of these is: hypertension cancer coronary cardiac disease neurological concerns diabetes arthritis Enjoy the blue pills to get deal with that is none other than purchase viagra in australia 100mg without prescription online which holds sildenafil citrate as active component. The blood circulation is not enough in the genital areas and in this way, the achievement of orgasms become far viagra buy online more desirable. It is a sexual condition which takes place in men, of not achieving the erection required in a sexual relationship with your partner thence these can be the symptom of erectile dysfunction? This condition makes one down physically and attacks the sexual desires generated on the mind to form a physical relationship. prescription order viagra without The major goal for the viagra online from india treatment of this disorder is not a single person’s job.
I went for my one year MRI last week. Before the appointment Marcus and I went to a burger joint for dinner for a delicious veggie burger and fries, an indulgence I have on special occasions. It was the first time I was on the fence about taking anti anxiety medication for my claustrophobia in the MRI machine. I was nervous and unsure about how that was going to work out but it turned out I didn’t have a choice. When I opened my pill box which contained the tiny pill, it was crushed into dust. My decision was made for me, I wasn’t meant to take it.

After dinner we made our way to the hospital. I was thrilled to see my favourite MRI technician there. It was about two years since I saw her last. With a Scottish accent so thick, she said, “hello Linda” and greeted me with a warm smile. She spoke about her last visit to Scotland while the other technician inserted the needle in my arm.

As I walked into the cold room I was happy to see a new MRI machine with a bigger opening. Marcus held my hand as I was rolled into the machine. Between the conversation with my Scottish tech, the bigger machine and Marcus holding my hand I remained calm. The MRI imaging began as the machine buzzed and banged loudly, but to my surprise it was over in almost half the time of the old machine. The stars aligned for me that day. We said our goodbyes, hoping not to see each other again for at least another year, maybe even five.

I had my follow up appointment with my radiation oncologist yesterday. We sat and waited in the little room, expecting him to come in with the usual results, “stable, no change” but always hoping to hear something better. The doctor came into the room and sat down in front of me and asked me how I was feeling. I told him I was great! He continued by telling us there was a change in the last scan, the flare of the tumour was thicker. My jaw dropped, this was not what I was expecting to hear. He took us into a room across the hall to show us the image on the computer compared to last years image. We could see the small difference. I was doing my best to control my emotions, telling myself to keep it together but before I knew it the dam burst and tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes.

The doctor was answering all of Marcus’ questions as I sat in shock. I couldn’t keep up with their conversation about possible treatments. I heard the words chemo and radiation but so many things were going through my mind. How do I tell Tristan, my parents and my sisters? Most of all, how can Marcus handle this news now? His mother was recently diagnosed with cancer and now this? I felt, and still feel terrible for him. How much can a man take? His mother always told him, “Good thing you have big shoulders kiddo!” Big and strong they are because even though this news came out of left field he has been so positive and strong, there is no option but to kick this tumours ass right out of my head!

The next day I got a phone call from my radiation oncologist. He presented my case to all the different doctors, about seven of them in total. The recommendation was to begin chemotherapy again. I have an appointment with the chemo doctor next Thursday to discuss my situation and next steps. After a visit with my naturopath, I have decided to begin high dose vitamin C therapy to prepare and support my body for what may or may not come. My preference is to wait six weeks or three months, get another MRI and compare it to the last image. If it continues to show change, then I will go ahead with the chemo. If there is no change I would like to watch and wait. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what he says. I’ll keep you posted.

Hope and Belief,

Linda