Dr. Friedman’s office called and asked to move up my post-op to this afternoon. So Tom raced home from work and accompanied me to what turned out to be a very good meeting.
The good doctor very happily reported that the cancer was entirely contained within my now-departed uterus. Everything else they sampled turned up negative. So for now I am considered cured, with no further treatment needed (i.e. no chemo or radiation).
There is perhaps a 2% chance of recurrence, he says, so I’ll need to be monitored for the rest of my life. Four times a year for a few years, then twice a year for a few years, then annually after 5 years. He did note that in case of recurrence the treatment protocols are pretty straightforward.
In the meantime, he admonished me that just because I’m pronounced cured doesn’t mean I get to ignore the fact that I had major surgery last week. I’m allowed to fly back East on Friday as we take Ben off to college (yay!), but with precautions: aspirin before the flight, hourly walks up and down the aisle, etc. No carrying anything heavier than my purse for another few weeks, and certainly not on this trip.
We are elated and relieved (and also, frankly, drained). My recovery from surgery is coming along as it should, and I’m feeling better every day.
We are so thankful for the constant stream of calls, cards, flowers, emails, meals, prayers, tweets, messages and good vibrations sent from literally every corner of the planet. They helped, and continue to do so, immensely.
Last but not least, words can hardly express our gratitude for the diligent, timely and caring ministrations of my doctors: Our GP Lee Kagan, my gynecologist Tina Koopersmith, and my oncologist/surgeon Richard Friedman. They’re all simply amazing.