PET Scan Results ...

PET went smoothly - very peaceful - no claustrophobia or panics - dozed through part of it --
  Thanks for the prayers that brought such peace! 
  It is disheartening to have them bring out the injection in a heavy leaden box and have the 
  syringe be inside of a metal jacket and see the "caution-biohazard" signs all over it!  Yuck!

During the scan, it dawned on me that I could get my records prior to my oncology appointment today.  After weighing everything,  I did go pick them up and take them to my integrative Dr. and overnighted them to my Oasis of Hope doctors.  Our fabulous postal service still had not gotten the disc delivered as of today at 4:45 when it was to be there at noon on Friday!  Unbelievable!  

Because of this ineptitude, I am still waiting to hear a final opinion from Oasis -- and they are the only Doc's that have my February, August and December PET scans. 
However 
Here is what what my integrative doc said -
 -- there are some new lesions - that's bad
 -- the old tumor from 1 year ago had glowed at 8.+ in Jan and now is at 3.+ - that's good!
    especially in view of how sick I was all Summer and into October!  
Bottom Line - "You are in a war.  You have taken shelling, but you have pushed back the enemy"  "Your body is responding well in some places and not so much in others, but there are signs that something is working." 

Oasis of Hope said the same thing based on the written report, which we e-mailed.  I will have a phone consultation tomorrow after they look at the images and compare them all.  
  
I am profoundly thankful for these men because I would have been really discouraged by my oncologist comments otherwise.  
Here is what my oncologist said (no she does not look at the scans - she goes completely off the radiological report) 
--the cancer has progressed - you have new lesions
-- the low dose chemo is not working
--you need to start folfiri to keep this in check
--I'm trying to buy you time with your family and friends
--there is better quality of life with chemo than without.....

When I asked her about the decrease in the glowing from 8 to 3, she did not have an answer - she said she did not have that information - which I read in the report when I picked it up.....

As she spoke, I could feel my positive attitude being sucked out of me and feel the sadness creeping up. The thought that came to me is Proverbs 18:21 that talks about life and death are in the power of the tongue.  I walked out feeling like I would be dead in 6 mos, with no energy to fight and wanting to scream -- which is completely different than how I felt when talking to my other doctors, even tho their news was not great.  

How many people, myself included last time, are given this negative spin by their well-meaning oncologists and have these negative words play over and over in their heads?  How does that contribute at all to the healing process?  
Yes it is good to know where you stand, but I was given a charm of a bumble bee by a friend.  The explanation that came with it goes like this:
"According to the laws of aerodynamics the bumble bee cannot fly; It's body is too heavy for its wings and that the simple reason why.  
But
the bumble bee does not know this fact, and so it flies anyway for all to see.
Remember this when you're losing faith or hope God's proof that the impossible can be."
This was written by A.S. Waldrop.

The mind is so powerful....I would much rather fly than die! 

Thank you so much for your love and prayers.  This has been a really trying time and we so appreciate you thinking of us at this busy time of year.