An early Christmas Gift!

Well, this past Friday I had my last Chemo treatment finishing my 12 weeks of Chemotheray and today I met with my Oncologist Dr. Kukunoor to review the results of my CatScans I had shortly after Thanksgiving.
Dr. Kukunoor read through the report rather quickly and many of the terms I could not comprehend but the bottom line is that it was an overall good report. Dr. Kukunoor said the the scan of my neck area showed enlargement of the lymph system and when I asked him if that was good, Dr. Kukunoor responded with, "That is terrific!" The scan of my chest and abdomen showed no new areas of cancerous tissue and the tumor in my right axillary has responded to the chemotherapy and shrunk to the point that Dr. Kukunoor now wants to radiate the area to remove any microscopic cells that may be lingering about. Neither the CatScan nor PetScan can pick up these micrscopic cells if they are there. The radiation treatment will consist of 30 daily treatments that shoukld last no longer than 5 minutes, far less than the 35 treatments I went through last year that lasted anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes. I asked Dr. Kukunoor about side affects of radiation and he said that because of the proximity of the area to be radiated side affects should be few if any at all, again unlike my neck area which was packed with many vital tissues from the esphoagus and windpipe to salivary glands and the voicebox.
Dr. Kukunoor said he wants to wait about three weeks before the treatments begin so that puts me at about mid-January. In the meantime I have an appointment on Dec. 30th to meet with a radiation oncologist and also a dermatologist to examine side affects I am currently suffering from the 5FU and Urbatux drugs that I have been receiving. Overall though, Dr. Kukunoor said I was doing extremly well and he said he will see me again in two months. I did at the end ask Dr. Kukunoor if I would be able to indulge myself into an alcoholic cocktail every now and then and he gave me the green light, so at least the Holidays will be filled with more than one kind of Spirit!
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Year's filled with Love, Joy and most of all Good Health! Thanks for your continued prayers and as always I sincerely appreciate each and everyone of you!
May God Bless each of you!
Tom