Officially Halfway...

This week has been a very busy, yet awesome week (so far) :)


On Monday, I went to the Monash Medical Centre to get a CT Scan and a PET Scan. Now, as I am Halfway through Chemo Treatments, they obviously have to see how well it is going, and what is happening, so they can adjust the chemo accordingly. Hence the scans. (you might want to glaze over the next couple of paragraphs... i go into detail about 'scientific medical' things :P)


The PET Scan and CT Scans' are not painful (Usually, yay).. but you do have to get injections. Some tech nurses (like the one I had) can not inject properly, and leave you with a bruise from the needle. Not good. Yes this happened to me... and why when you see my I have my PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line, which is inserted 24/7 into my arm. Just look at the link for more details. They couldn't use the PICC line for the Radioactive Glucose they had to inject me with, because they are 'delicate' and therefore should only be used for Chemo, and withdrawing blood.


So yes, the PET Scan requires you to be 1) injected with Radioactive Glucose, 2) lie down for an hour while the RG spreads through out your body and into the tumours, as much as possible. You have to lie as still as you possibly can. 3) lie on a hard plastic board, while the 'radiographers' slide you in and out of the machine from there perches in the little room next door with the glass window. 4) Lie on the board, with your arms above your head, as still as possible for the whole 1.5 hour test. 5) Did I mention you can not be wearing any clothes, besides a medical gown, and no metal? So time consuming!!


The CT Scan on the other hand, 1) you have to drink about 1 litre of 'contrast' solution before entering the test. 2) lie on a similar hard plastic board, while the radiographers slide you in and out of a similar machine to the PET Scan. 3) Lie in exactly the same position, with your arms above your head. 4 ) be injected with some form of 'contrast' to the stuff you had to drink... and do some more sliding for an hour. Again, Time consuming. So as my appointment was at 0930, I did not leave MMC until 1400... that's 4.5 hours of tests!!!


(please join back into the blog now.. medical things should have finished by now...)


So i had tests.. big whoop i here you say...
we yes in theory... but not when you hear the results!! Now this is a perfect reason to have a blog! :) So it can be 'shouted out to the world' as i said i wanted to do.


Well, the PET Scan came back NEGATIVE!!!!!! Which means that there is an UNDETECTABLE amount of active Hodgkin's Lymphoma Cells left in my body! :D Just for reference 'undetectable' is about 80% of the cells, so I still have to go ahead with the next 3 months (6 sessions) of Chemo to make sure the cancer cells have gone as much as possible. (DIE YOU STUPID, HORRIBLE CELLS!!) The CT Scan also showed the small(er) tumours in my Neck, and Abdomen, have completely shrunk and disappeared, while the main tumor (of original size 20cm) has shrunk to 11cm, and will mostly be Scar Tissue. It will also continue shrinking over the next 3 months. :D


This is all EXCELLENT NEWS!!!! And had me jumping for joy, spinning in circles, wishing i could celebrate! Just you wait.. in 3 months when I am party-ing it up, and able to drink champagne again (IE less tired, and don't have 10000000 drugs floating around in my system) I will be doing just that.. in STYLE!


So as of now (well Tuesday 13/01/2009) Amelia Fuller is OFFICIALLY IN REMISSION!
What a way to start 2009! :D
There is not much, if anything, that can beat hearing news like that!


Even writing this blog right now, makes me want to celebrate.. I am now in search of Chocolate in the house.. I will find some, somewhere!


Until next time... Eat Chocolate...


~ Amelia xox