This is my 'off' week so I'm feeling much better. No 1500 mg of Xeloda 2 times a day which has been fantastic! I'm eating and sleeping better. I'm also not nearly as tired, which is also really nice. That doesn't mean I'm not still going to be SUPER early, but I'm not having to 'rest' as much this week

I saw my Oncologist this week and he reported back on the CT Scan that I had done a few weeks ago. As far as the CT scan shows there's no sign of a tumor. This is better than the 'inconclusive' MRI result I got from my surgeon a few weeks ago.

My Cancer Markers (CEA) are also showing no signs of cancer. So really good news.

Last week was my favorite conference in the world, DjangoCon US which was in Chicago. This is the first time I haven't been since I first attended in 2022. I was/am really bummed that I wasn't able to go (for obvious reasons!). To help alleviate my FOMO I sent my 2020 Cutout to a friend that was going to be at the concert. Unfortunately, I sent it to the incorrect address and it never made it there.

Womp! Womp!

BUT, I had another friend that sent me a post card from the conference and had the most lovely note. It brightened my day like nothing else.

I spoke with another friend and he said that I was definitely missed, which made me feel really good.

I'll write more about my experience with this particular community on my non-cancer blog later this year I'm sure. To say that they have helped me through out this journey, even though they are all 'internet' friends, is an understatement.

On Thursday I met with my virtual cancer support group. They all commented that I seemed much more upbeat this week and thanked me for the positive energy that I had brought. When I was talking with Emily about it afterward I choked up a bit.

At the end of the group session we all talk about what we're going to take away from our session. Week 2 was really hard for me. Like, I don't know if I can do this for another 5 sessions kind of hard.

But after being in group and seeing how strong the others are, it emboldened me to do everything I can to get through this. My prognosis is pretty good at this point. Not everyone's is. And I know that if any of the people in my group had a prognosis like mine, they'd get through all of the treatments and do it with strength and grace. So yeah, this week I took away strength.

Overall it's been a really good week. I have an extra 'off' day this week because of the Labor Day holiday which I'm very happy for. I'm not looking forward to next week starting, but I am looking forward to continuing my progress on this journey.