Round 4 complete

My apologies for the lack of updates lately...in a nutshell, I just finished my fourth infusion last week.  This past round took a toll on me a bit longer, but I am finally beginning to feel somewhat back to normal.  Prior to my next round (in two weeks) I will have another CT-scan to see the results from the last two chemotherapy rounds.  Keeping my fingers crossed for more positive results.

On a different note, many people have inquired about my prognosis with having stage IV cancer...so I wanted to address the elephant in the room.  For starters,  stage IV cancer simply means the cancer has spread to another organ(s):  in my case that is the liver and gall bladder with an unknown primary.  While one oncologist gave me "3 to 5 years" to live, the other oncologist never gave me a prognosis (he was also the same one who said from the beginning that I “would perform beautifully”).  He doesn't believe in statistics when it comes to cancer and I have to say....I am truly grateful for that ray of sunshine.  If your doctor pronounces a death sentence, how else can you have hope?  Many view a cancer prognosis as a "challenge or a death sentence"….I am clearly taking on this new journey in my life as a challenge.   

"In the face of uncertainty, there is nothing wrong with hope.  False hope is an oxymoron.  There can be false expectations, but hope is real.  It’s not about statistics; hope is necessary for survival."

In less than three months, I have truly realized just how important it is to stay in a living frame of mind.  It continues to move me forward, keep me searching, keep me strong, and keep me believing that it is possible to live.

Here’s to hope…and believing in miracles.