So it’s been a six weeks since my last blog update. After receiving such good news that I’m in remission, I wanted to take some time to celebrate and also to take my mind off things like treatment, and sickness, and all the yuck that comes with cancer.

But I still want to keep this blog updated – because my journey is not over. There is still so much follow up care and tests in my future.  And still lots of feels along the way.

So what have I been up to these past six weeks?  And what do I have coming up?

 

CELEBRATING

Mostly, we’ve been super thankful and up for celebrating the good news.

We hosted a “Ring the Bell” Survivor Celebration at the house the week after Derby. Surrounded by family and friends, I rang the bell signifying my end to treatment. It was a cathartic moment to ring that bell – finally feeling well enough to celebrate, and knowing that I don’t have to go and get sick again soon with any more treatment.

Luis and I also went on a vacation to Florida, for just the two of us to celebrate.  We spent four days in Miami Beach, and four days at Disney World.  Unfortunately, we both got sick with flu like symptoms for almost the entire trip – so for a vacation meant to celebrate my good health, it wasn’t perfect.  But by guzzling DayQuil & Mucinex, and popping Halls by the handfuls, we were able to enjoy everything we set out to enjoy.

 

THE BODY CANCER LEFT BEHIND

I’ve mentioned this before, but I got a lot of inspiration from someone named Melissa, who also defeated Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and blogged about the experience, keeping a positive attitude.

One blog post from her that I can complete empathize with is this one, titled “Getting My Body Back After Cancer”

One completely unexpected trauma of surviving cancer is standing in front of that mirror and looking at the body cancer left behind.

Scars.

Loss of hair, especially the eyebrows.

And an additional 20 pounds – easily the heaviest I have ever been in my entire life.

 

So the day after Derby, I went on a trial run with diet and exercise, for about two weeks.  I say trial run, because no diet or exercise happened during vacation.  But now that we are back in town, it’s back to daily diet and exercise for real.

The diet part, I find pretty easy.  Without being filled with steroids every other week, I have no appetite for the types of food that packed on the pounds.  No more excessive cake, candy, cookies, ice cream. In fact, I don’t think we even have any in the house. And I don’t miss it.  I went two weeks eating just healthy – and it was effortless.

The exercise part has me more frustrated.  Prior to my diagnosis, Luis and I had been going to the gym nearly every day – for 18 consecutive months. I was the fittest I had been since high school, and probably had better upper body strength than even then.

So to get back to the gym and realize I had fallen literally all the way back to zero was pretty traumatic.  Cardio, upper body, weightlifting – all the gains I had made had disappeared and it was like I had never been to the gym a day on my life.

I know that with discipline, I’ll get back to where I was. It will just take time.  But I don’t have a lot of time before I’m tasked with a Tough Mudder!  That… could be interesting.

And I know that I’ll shed these pesky pounds, which packed on almost exclusively in my belly region.  Not an attractive look for summer… I just want them gone NOW!

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

I have a battery of blood tests scheduled for Tuesday, June 13, as well as a consultation with Dr. Stevens.  Hopefully, all will go well there.

My next PET Scan isn’t scheduled until October, so assuming these blood tests go well, I’m not expecting any major anxiety until then.

If the PET Scan goes well in October, then we can start talking about getting this Port taking out of my chest – which currently is only serving as a (always mildly sore) daily reminder of what I’ve been through.

 

That’s all for now. I expect I’ll update less frequently, unless something happens.  But thanks for those who continue to read. And for those who are going through their own journey with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – hoping you will soon find these “post-cancer” updates helpful!

Much Love

Merv