NO RADIATION.
I just spoke with Dr. Crane's office.
He took a lump of tissue out of my head that was 3.5 by 4 cm for what turned out to be a half-centimeter, low-grade (confirmed by surgical pathology, hooray!) tumor. The margins were clear. I will not need radiation, only follow-up from here on out to confirm no recurrence. Recurrence is rare with these types of tumors, especially when they're confirmed low-grade. Call it ten to fifteen percent.
Thank God.
I'll have a CT scan in January, then follow-up scans at intervals to make sure that nothing's come back.
Ten-year survival rate here is 95%.
The last bit of anxiousness just unknotted itself from the middle of my chest. For the first time in what feels like a very long time, I am crying happy, thankful tears rather than lonely, frightened ones.
Thank you all for being behind me during this.
70 comments:
That is fantastic news!!! A huge sigh of relief and a prayer of thanks going out this morning! : )
Woohoo! I am so glad for you, Jo. I'll hoist one tonight for your good luck and good health. Lots of love from me and, I'm sure, from all of your devoted readers.
Wonderful, wonderful news! My heart is happy for you.
Yippee! I'm very happy for your good news!
Woo-hoo! Congratulations! GOOD news for a change - you needed it!!!
Wonderful! Hurray for clear margins! I had suggested you look into proton beam therapy, as it is less damaging; and am so glad that you won't need any radiation of either kind.
Good for you! How exciting!
I'm sure the folks in radiology will miss you, but they'll just have to wait for your CTs.
Definitely happy holidays this year!
Hey, Anon, on the proton beam therapy: Thanks for your advice, and I did look into it early on. Unfortunately, it's not appropriate for this type of tumor, where there'd need to be a good "scatter" to the surrounding areas.
Just that much more reason to be thankful, thankful that I won't need to be zapped.
Big tight hug!!!!! Yes!
Fran
That's absolutely wonderful news Jo. I'm so happy for you and your loved one. This just proves that cancer chose the wrong nurse to mess with :-)
BOOYA!!
Happy*happy*joy*joy!
Whooooo Hooooooooo!!!!!
-nuntric
This just made my day! Congratulations!
Crowy, I agree!
As for your word verification: is a nuntric what we put into a member of a religious order with increased ICP?
Such awesome news!!!
We're only behind you cause of your butt, duh.
I'm really glad to see that you get to keep your luscious locks not be bombarded with high energy gamma radiation.
hugs!
YES!
GREAT NEWS!
HOORAY!
(from anon-remain-anon, not the other Anon that's already posted)
You just made my week! I am so happy for you, and am so glad you have these friends to journey behind you!
Yay yay yay yay yay yay yay!
So happy for you Jo.
Very good news!
I am so happy for you!
Thank you SO MUCH for all your blog entries about this whole experience. I especially liked the one about the palate protector.
w00t w00t!
This shall be my happy dance news for the day!
I heaved a sigh of relief almost as big as yours, and I think I am going to have to indulge in the Happy Dance. Who cares what the coworkers think?
Memune
PS @ JannieCPH - I hope your little boy is doing well.
WOOOOOOOT!
This is excellent news. Having your head nuked is never good.
Awesome!
An hour later, and I am barely able to see to type.
Praise God, praise God, praise God.
It would not be possible for me to be more overjoyed for you! Such great, great news! I am so, so happy to for you and yours! That's great!!!!
Great news, Jo. And "rare" is a beautiful word, indeed. Thank you for keeping us informed through all of this. All the best to you.
--Queen Anne's Lace
I am very happy for you. Now you can truly get on with recovery and life.
Awesome!
From anon #3
I am grinning from ear to ear out here in CA. Fabulous news!!!!
Of course, I just found a whole list of benefits to being bald (posted in Monday's WSJ) so I'll save them for someone else.
YAY!!!!!!!
What great news! I'm so relieved for you.
Thank you Lord!!!
Thank you so much for continuing to take us all along and giving us insight on this crazy roller-coaster. Showing the good, the bad, the ugly and the AMAZING times.
It was so wonderful to read today's news.
YYAAHHHHHHHOOOOOOO!!!!!
I am so so happy for you and all of your loved ones.
Erin
WAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO
BOOYAH!
Fantastic. I am so very glad. Go forth and celebrate!
YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
YAY! YAY! YAAAY!!!
Woooohoooo! I am so happy for you! Best news I've heard all day:)
Thank God. And thank you for sharing your good news.
YEAH!!!!!!!
Oh, Jo, this is FANTASTIC!!! I will be smiling all the rest of the day. Thanks for sharing the good news. NO RADIATION!
Wonderful news, Jo! Happy dancing all over the place.
YAY! That's great news!
awesome, awesome, awesome! Congrats!!
~ Uro*ma
Jo, I am a 10 year survivor of throat cancer. Had both surgery and radiation, and thankfully have no residual effects.
I have been amazed and grateful that you would share your experience so vividly.
My absolute best to you.
SNOOPY DANCE!!!
Zippidy doo daa
Zippidy ay
My, Oh my!
What a wonderful day!
This is great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Halleluja! Joy to the World!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xB4W8thG28
I've never even met you and I'm tearing up with happiness that you got this great news. I'm so happy for you and hope it just gets easier from here on out. (((hugs)))
What wonderful news! My dogs and I are doing the happy dance and I am shedding happy tears. May you proceed with a very uneventful recovery.
WV = heria- as in I am so glad to heria your good news!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We're going to see you for many years!
So happy for you; I have been a fan for a long time and I quote you to the tribe of nurses I married into.
I check your page every day to see how you are doing.
EugeneInSanDiego
Oh, I'm so, so happy for you Jo!! Yay. :)
Lori
Hot Dog!!!
I just yelled so loud I spooked the kittens!
WONDERFUL news! Happy Dance Time! :D
Oh what fantastic news! :-D
Wonderful news!
Hurray for good news!
Fantastic! I am so pleased for you. Take care of yourself and spoil yourself rotten.
What a relief! And though it's not something anyone would choose to have, this whole thing probably something along the lines of having a glacier dragged through your life - not all the defec-- oops I mean sharp valleys and outcroppings newly created will be bad things - the good will unfold. God I am so fucking inspiring. :)
GIANT sigh of relief - what great news!!!!
wrarf!wrarf! aooooooooooohhhhhh!
(doggie for "awesome!!!!!!"
I am so glad - what great news :)
This is fantastic news. Treat yourself well and enjoy!
So happy...just incredibly happy for you.
crowd goes wild! am doing a little dance for you in this coffee shop.
Wonderful news! Yay!
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