I am done. Done with chemotherapy.
<insert joyful dance here>
After a lot of thinking, research, reading, praying, discussing, asking, feeling, and other forms of considering the options; we are all in agreement (Me, Kathy, and the Doctor) that chemotherapy is finished.
The prescribed treatment is 17 rounds. I completed 15. There are many things that factor in to the decision. It’s not giving up. I am moving forward.  My treatment was preventive. We have always been confident that the tumor (and the salivary gland it rode in on) were completely removed — even the lymph nodes nearby were removed and tested clean.  So, we were doing the prescribed treatment that is known to be the best known way to keep it from coming back because it was a badass, aggressive form of cancer. That treatment is designed for kids, who are better able to handle it.  It’s been beating up my insides. Even when I feel okay, there are things that are having a harder time recovering. It takes longer to recover from some of those side effects, and it puts the rest of me at risk of other issues.
I go into all this not to justify the decision, but to share where it’s coming from. We are confident and the doctor is confident that this is a good a decision, and that the low-dose I could handle of two more treatments wouldn’t be worth the risks.
And.. It’s time. This whole drama started Thanksgiving of 2014. After surgery and a crapload of tests, the first chemotherapy treatment was March 12, 2015 — One year ago exactly (leap year!). It’s time to move forward; there’s more work to do.
So, when I say “I am done,” I’m referring to the chemotherapy. There will be no radiation (nothing there to radiate). Now we work on recovery and process/schedule within which we will monitor my body to make sure it stays gone. And, of course, the process to reclaim my body and get it in shape.
The question is, “What’s next?”  The immediate next steps are:

• Blood tests to monitor my recovery from this last treatment. Today we were in a good place, but we’ll check again next week. We’ll keep monitoring until I get back to normal levels (normal people normal, not chemo normal!)
• I go to Chicago. I have a meeting there in April, and it’s been a focus for me to be able to participate fully. There’s a bottle of Conundrum with my name on it there to celebrate.
• After returning from that trip, we’ll have a “survivorship” meeting to schedule the scans, learn what happens for all that, and talk about planning the recovery of my body (I miss my muscles).
• When the blood tests have me more back to normal, the port will be removed (the thingy that was placed a little below my collar bones through which blood draws are done and IV’s are accessed).

Today, after the doctor appointment, Kathy and I enjoyed and afternoon off of work, a late lunch, and went to a movie. Then, JT and I did a few rounds about bringing sexy back on the drive home where I met up with Kathy again for some celebratory cookies & milk. It’s still doesn’t feel too real to me and when I think about it being “done,” I get weepy (happy weepy). So, a weekend to let it soak in and do what we’ve been wanting to do for so long: plan fun things to do with our time.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gOHvDP_vCs&w=560&h=315]