Skip to main content

N.E.D.

I am soooo happy...no, I'm ecstatic! I received the results of the biopsies performed on my recent EGD. Dr. R. said there was absolutely NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE in my esophagus, stomach, or upper colon. N.E.D. Those three letters are the most coveted of all breast cancer diagnoses. They mean that cancer is not present in any way, shape, or form. What a wonderful diagnosis! I was so thankful to get this news and I'm doing the happy dance today.

When I went in for my test, I wasn't expecting to receive a diagnosis of cancer but I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd gotten one. Many breast cancer patients experience a recurrence of cancer during the first 5 years after diagnosis and with me foregoing traditional anti-hormone therapy, I'm sure the doctor was expecting to find my "all natural" remedies had failed. But that was not the case and that reassures me that what I'm doing is working! So I'll continue taking my huge array of supplements and essential oils. I'll keep eating beautiful, fresh, organic produce and I'll keep a positive outlook on life. I'll get as much sunshine as I can each day and I'll keep getting daily physical exercise. Most of all, I'll keep my faith in God because that's the key to beating this disease. And, with that being said, I'm off to celebrate!!!

© bonnie annis all rights reserved

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes I just want to pull my hair out

Sometimes I just want to pull my hair out, especially when I read a friend's blog post and I just can't wrap my head around it. This morning, I was reading a post from a fellow breast cancer survivor. She said her cancer has returned and is growing in her spine. As soon as I read the words, I burst into tears. I just didn't understand! We'd been diagnosed with the same type of cancer in the same year. How could it be that her cancer had returned and mine had not? And what made it even more difficult to understand and accept was the fact that she'd chosen to go the traditional treatment route. I'd opted not to do that. She'd endured chemotherapy, radiation, and the anti-hormone therapy afterward. I'd refused chemo, had done 28 rounds of radiation, and had only taken the anti-hormone drugs for a couple of months. It just didn't compute and it certainly didn't seem fair. But that's what sucks about cancer. It doesn't follow the rules.

Cancer the gift that keeps on giving - the high cost of cancer

There's a basket of bills sitting in the corner of my bedroom. I try not to look at it as I enter the room but I know it's there. Its contents spill out onto the floor whenever my husband stuffs another bill into the basket. Usually, when the mail comes, he gets it first so he can filter what I see and what I don't see. Since he's the only one working, he takes care of our financial responsibilities and while I'm thankful for that, I'm not ignorant about our mounting bills. Cancer is expensive. Even if you've reached maintenance phase, it's costly. There are always tests to be run, blood to be taken, doctors to see. It never ends. Just knowing this will be a continual process for the rest of my life frustrates me and the alternative, death, will be my only way out. It would be nice to know that cancer could be a once and done kind of thing but that's only wishful thinking. Everyone knows cancer is a long and very involved illness. I had no id

Annual checkup yields good news!

Yesterday I went to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America for my annual check up. For those unfamiliar with the cancer treatment center, it's an integrative facility that provides services for the body, mind, and spirit. My day began in the survivorship department. While there, I met with the doctor and was asked about how I'd been feeling both physically and emotionally. We talked for about half an hour. The doctor and I had a few laughs and it was probably the most pleasant visit I've ever had. Instead of making me feel that she was the doctor and I was the patient, I felt like we were old friends just having a good chat. It was refreshing and I left her office feeling very optimistic. Next was the port lab where I have my blood drawn. It's always a challenge there because I always have to explain about my lymphedema and why it's necessary to have blood drawn from my hand instead of my arm. You'd think, after 4 years of being a patient there, they'