Hopeful news, but not cured, yet.

Cautious Optimism Could Be Called For

Well, we have hopeful news from the lab tests and dissections:

1) They got all the known, evident cancer.

2) The margins (extra) they took were clear.

3) The lymph nodes on both sides that they took were clear as well.

HOWEVER

4) The lab found evidence that microscopic bits of the cancer were found on the outside of the prostate. 

What does this mean?

We are not out of the woods, totally, yet.  And I don't want to go dancing in the streets until I know more. 

I have always viewed cancer as a chronic disease, not always immediately cured by surgery, chemo, or radiation.  We have all heard the phrase "The Cancer is back..." and usually that's bad. 

Really bad. 

Cookie says you can be happy with the first three bits, and by all means, strip into your natural state, grab a tambourine, and dance in the street if you are so inclined.  Fly that Cookie Freak Flag! Enjoy this moment.  But the other - well, that is what the follow-up brings. 

What happens next? 

Well, for the short-term future, people undergoing this surgery have additional PSA tests, and if the numbers are good to improving, well good.  And if the numbers are really good for a period of time, that might be a signal of a real cure. 

But, if the numbers aren't where they should be, or are trending down and then up, that would be another PMSA Scan (where they shoot you full of a radioactive isotope that targets the PSA in your body and see where it is active) that could lead to radiation, Chemotherapy, and additional surgeries.  Now the last PMSA scan said it was just in the prostate, but that was in August. So I am hopeful that we're still in that bubble as no microscopic cancer cells showed up in the margins. 

IN OTHER NEWS, the Catheter was removed, so no more bag! Sweet Jesus, what a freaking relief. 

My next goal, aside from passing the PSA test, is to sleep on my sides again without pain.  In a couple weeks, we should be there.