Still in Remission

I went in for my follow up CT scan on Friday. I have not recieved the final report yet, but was able to look at the scan with the radiologist right after I had it done and she said everything looks good. The areas that lit up on the pet scan still show no signs of enlarged lymph nodes. This is a huge relief considering how things have gone in the past. A lot has gone on since I posted last so I'll give a quick rundown.

We sold our house and moved from Columbia to Springfield, MO(into my parents house) for two weeks at the end of October. Then turned around and moved to Oklahoma City(Edmond actually) on November 5th. Yes, we had to pack and unpack the truck twice in a two week period and it SUCKED! I was still not feeling well, had no energy, and no stamina. But, we got through it ok with a lot of help from family, friends, and fellow church members.  We got everything unpacked and in place before Thanksgiving since we had company coming, which was a little stressful since I was still not feeling great and it was such a short time.  Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. We had Jason Canlas' family, my parents, and my brother Todd and his wife Crystal here for 4-5 days. Brooke did a great job cooking her first Thanksgiving dinner and the kids had such a great time with the Canlas boys. We are all settled in and really starting to feel at home here. Our church ward seems great and we are excited to be here for the next 4-5 years.

How am I feeling? Almost like a normal person! I got a cold right after Thanksgiving and that really knocked me out for a few days, but since I recovered from that it has all been up hill. The main things that were still bothering me were nerve pain in my arms and legs (which made it hard to be on my feet for very long) and having no energy/stamina. As of the last week or two the pain is pretty much gone and I am getting my strength back. No joke, until recently I could not remember what it was like to feel normal, have energy, and not have pain/discomfort. This is the longest break from chemo I've had since last October.  I have to admit, the recovery process has been longer and harder than I thought it would be.

I'm feeling better just in time because I start work in 2 weeks! I am nervous, but definitely excited to get this show on the road. I have been doing all the various paperwork, training, and licensing stuff since we leave tomorrow for Utah to visit Brooke's family and won't be back until the 28th. They approved my plan to do my intern year, then take 6 months off and moonlight in ERs etc., and start my anesthesia years in July with the new class of residents. This way I won't have to go any longer without working or not having an income, but I will still be on track with the other residents. That should make my anesthesia training more seemless and easier on me.  

Brooke has really been a rock through all of this and kept our family going. She amazes me in her ability to keep things running smoothly with little to almost no help from me. I'm gonna go ahead and keep her!