Cancer Free Again

What would this adventure be without a scare or two? I got some of my results yesterday - the really important ones - and they did not find any lymphoma in there. They did this thing called flow cytometry, which is something like a coin changer that divides up cells. So, I think they can say with relatively strong assurance that there is no lymphoma in my bone marrow. They also found that the amount of cells that produce my blood cells is diminished. That essentially means I have "damaged bone marrow" from radiation and chemotherapy and cancer. The bone marrow produces my blood cells, so since it is damged, I will have low blood counts forever. This is typical of someone that has gone through treatment like I have. We already knew that last year took a notch out of my previously picturesque athletic body, so we can just add this one to the list of my prematurely aged body parts. You can lead a normal and healthy life with low blood counts - my counts are not extremely low, just a little bit.

This is great news. My oncologist had me worried in his rush to get me my aspiration. Another good thing is that I now have a mark from my aspiration on my right side symmetrical to the old one on the left. It looks like two eyes peering out just above my pant line.

So let's take inventory: damaged bone marrow, bum right hip, 10 little blue tattoos, incorrectly radiated upper sternum, fusarium species toe fungus, eczema on my hand, irritated stomach/esophagus and low blood counts. At least I have a posterior smiley face grinning sideways, smug that I'm alive and happy.