This is a gift from my cancer twin. Plain black mug that turns into Wonder Woman with hot water. I laugh and cry at the same time. It is more personalized than that but I have removed more personal for privacy sake. It’s a week since I took the boards. I have put 2 big things behind me – boards and… I removed my port today. Small surgery (but surgery nevertheless). Five minutes and no cord in my neck, no bubble in my chest. No anesthesia. This time all the staff knew and had no arguments. Exactly 10 minutes after the last stitch I walk out of the surgeon’s office, get in the car and drive home. Surgeries are simple. I had my done on the gurney having assured everyone that I won’t move or cause trouble. “Nothing personal”, said my surgeon but I don’t want to see you in this OR ever again. And we both know what it means – hopefully I will never need a port again.
Oh, and my skin biopsy came back no cancer. Bravo to my friend in NY who is dermatologist-oncologist who has talked me out of MOHS procedure and told me to use imiquimod cream.
By the end of the day today it would be exactly one year since I went and had my first and last mammogram. One year taken out of my livelihood where every beat of my heart, every breath I took and every decision I have made were directed towards getting well. And now I am back.
I met with both of my oncologists this week and both felt I was done with Keytruda. Hence the port removal. I was hanging onto it as a symbol of continued treatment. One more step – reconstruction and then I will be well and truly done.
On the other hand will this story be ever over? Can I simply close the blog and make it a distant memory? I don’t think so. The scar from the port will forever be a brand indented into me so that I do not forget. How many more tests, labs, follow-ups? Forever patient. I will also keep looking into what else can be done, what is the newest and bestest (like one of my kids used to say) to keep as plan B. And I will always try to keep the honorific of THE Wonder Woman and assure that it is well earned.
